


Anchor

by DreamDrop



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: A/B/O Biology, Alpha Damen, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Eventual Smut, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mpreg, Omega Laurent, Pregnancy Kink, Soul Bond, Time Skips, non-traditional soul bond, somewhat?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:07:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 25,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27436312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamDrop/pseuds/DreamDrop
Summary: The one in which Damen is a detective and Laurent a prosecutor. They meet. Damen is immediately smitten. Laurent not so much. And then there is the thing with the soul bond.--“Good. I’m now going to tell you that there is something like a soul-bond. I know the term is worn out by all the fairytales, but it’s not like in the stories. What I’m talking about is a compatibility exceeding every scale known to us. Years before the first suppressants, our society tackled the mating issue with compatibility between an alpha and an omega. The reason for that is easy, every compatibility score above 60% is not only based on biology but also on character and emotion. You have to be compatible in every sense to exceed those 60%.”
Relationships: Auguste & Laurent (Captive Prince), Damen & Nikandros (Captive Prince), Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 143





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello you all!  
> I posted the first parts of this story on tumblr but it went a bit overboard as the idea evolved and I decided to post it here instead.  
> Have fun :)

Laurent stared down at the report before him. A hiss escaping him that drew the attention of Lazar towards his colleague.

“This is unbelievable.” The blond overviewed the police report with a frown. He was not pleased, not in the least. What the actual fuck?

Lazar leaned over his shoulder, the obnoxious nuisance he was. Laurent fought the urge to punch him in the face. “Oh! That’s good. Our most beloved detective messed up his report- again.” The man sounded as if Christmas and his birthday fell on the same day.

“Don’t you dare find this amusing. If I hadn’t caught it, it could have caused serious trouble before court.

"That’s a bit exaggerated. This little mistake wouldn’t be the reason for us to lose.” Lazar’s injection was valid, but Laurent couldn’t care less for that. He had enough. He wouldn’t sit still any longer. If this was how the arrogant detective wanted it, he could have it.

Laurent pushed his chair back, rolling over Lazar’s foot completely by accident, obviously. He wasn’t so petty as to purposely injure his working colleague.

Auguste entered the room just as Laurent stood to storm out of their conference room.

“What’s the matter, Lauri?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“The matter is that Damianos FUCKING Vallis messed up his damn report AGAIN. I can’t understand that level of incompetence. Does he want us to lose at court?” Laurent seethed while Auguste exchanged a look with Lazar.

His older brother moved to stand before the door, obviously reading Laurent’s body language correctly and trying to keep him from storming out in order to hunt down the absolutely incompetent pain in the arse that was also known as Damianos Vallis.

“Laurent, calm down. It’s just a minor mistake. Nothing case threatening and you saw it even before we went to court.” Lazar’s voice was grating on Laurent’s already thin nerves. And Auguste closed his eyes for a second, as if he knew what would now inevitably happen.

Laurent whirled around, his voice ice cold when he said, “Are you kidding me, you plug-ugly knob head? This bastard thinks he is above the law just because he is the most renown detective of the city? Or is it maybe because the people adore him? I couldn’t care less. For all I give a damn about he could be the bloody king, that doesn’t excuse his absolute lack of competence and meticulousness.”

He turned around. “And I will now go straighten him out before something serious happens.”

“Laurent, don’t- come on- it’s just one mistake. This could happen to anyone.” Auguste still blocked the door but Laurent was nothing, if not determined.

“Auguste, seriously, I don’t want to argue with you, but this is not his first mistake. It’s the eleventh I saw myself and I am sure there are other reports I never saw that contain similar lack of carefulness. Get out of my way and let me do my fucking job.”

“Your job is being a prosecutor, Lauri. Not running after a detective who apparently has problems with his spelling.” Auguste sighed and moved no inch away from the door.

Laurent stared him down. “Auguste, you are too nice. It can’t be that the mistakes just started happening when I arrived here.”

Lazar snorted. “You are right. It started a month after you started working here. Before Damianos never had any problems with distinguishing between were, where and we’re.” Auguste rolled his eyes and stood aside. “Well then, if you really think this is worth it, do what you think you have to.”

* * *

“Good morning Damen, how are you?” Nik placed the paper cup of coffee beside his partner and let himself sag into the chair.

Damen grinned, the dimple in his cheek deepening. “Thanks, Nik. I’m fine. An awful lot of paperwork.”

Nik raised his eyebrows. “Well, you insisted on doing all the paperwork.”

Damen bit his bottom lip and looked away. He could feel his best friend’s eyes on his face and could already hear the rant. But right then a heavenly scent filtered into the bullpen. His head snapped up. The scent was only faint, but Damen was so attuned to it that he could smell it even through the scent patches.

After the scent came blond hair and blazing blue eyes that immediately zeroed in on Damen. He felt as if he was set on fire. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to whimper from the arousal coursing through his veins or if he wanted to growl and pounce on the omega.

Then came a slender body clad in a grey suit and Damen felt the whimper raising in his throat. Damn it, the man looked so- delicious.

“Damianos Vallis, we need to talk.” Laurent’s voice filtered through the haze and Nik raised an eyebrow at Damen. “What did you do?”

“He messed up a report, again and I won’t stand for it any longer.” Laurent huffed and Nik let his eyes drift back to Damen. “Did he now?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think-” before Damen had the chance to apologize profoundly, he was interrupted by the blond prosecutor. “Yes, you didn’t. Not at all.”

The omega was so angry his eyes seemed glacial. He stared Damen down and the alpha just wanted to sink to his knees before him and lick him all over. He felt his cock twitch in his trousers.

“I brought the report with me. Redo it and send it again. I marked your mistakes, but this will be the last time I will correct your report. Is that clear?”

Damen gulped and then nodded. He didn’t trust his voice. A growl was stuck in his throat and something told him that Laurent wouldn’t appreciate it if Damen behaved like a knothead.

“Good.” With that Laurent slammed the stack of papers before Damen on his desk and walked out of the office. Nik wasn’t the only one staring at him, while Damen couldn’t tear his eyes away from the door through which Laurent had left.

Only after some seconds was he able to redirect his gaze to the report on his table. It smelt very faintly of the omega and it was marked with red ink all over. Damen had the same feeling like back in school when he had failed in his vaskian language exam.

Nikandros cleared his throat and stared Damen down when he finally lifted his eyes. “Are you serious?”

“What?” He tried for innocent. It didn’t work. His best friend threw his hands in the air in exasperation. He stood and tugged Damen up. The alpha had no choice but follow him. Nik led them to a meeting room and closed the door behind them.

“You messed up the report on purpose. I know how you write and you never make any mistakes. You are too good at your job for that.”

Damen wrung his hands. “I just…”

“You just want to fuck him and knew he would lose his temper eventually if you were persistent enough in handing in faulty reports.”

It was the truth and they both knew it. Although it wasn’t the whole truth. Actually, Damen didn’t only want to fuck the other man, but Nik didn’t need to know that.

Damen slowly nodded his head and Nik groaned. “Are you a complete idiot? We need to work WITH the prosecutors not against them and if he thinks you are an utter idiot, it will end badly. Heed my words.”

Damen knew that. He really did but he also had no other opportunity to talk to the omega. He knew Laurent wasn’t one for social gatherings from his brother and he also knew that Laurent didn’t appreciate the old fashioned courting traditions.

What other options did he have?

* * *

Laurent stared down at the pile of reports on his brother’s desk. He knew he shouldn’t snoop but he recognized the top most name of the report and he just wanted a look. It wouldn’t hurt anyone and it was not as if this was something private, it was work related, he didn’t step over any boundaries.

He took the file and was just in the process of scanning it, when he saw the report beneath it. Again, the same name, it went on and on until he had flipped through at least ten reports. Every single one bearing the name of Damianos Vallis.

He gaped at the reports. Over the last two weeks he hadn’t seen one single report of the aggravating detective. Secretly, he had wondered. Just slight curiosity because none of the horrible reports had found their way onto his desk.

Now, he had an explanation for that at least. Auguste the traitor had _KEPT_ them from him. He seethed internally. How **dare** him?!

When his brother returned, he saw Laurent standing behind his desk, looking at him the same way he looked at a suspect before court. “What have I done?” He sounded panicky but he couldn’t help it. His brother was terrifying.

Laurent reached down to the desk and grabbed a stack of paper. Auguste closed his eyes. He knew he had forgotten something. Damn it.

“Why did you keep them here?”

Auguste contemplated what he should answer. He decided to take his brother serious and not trying to fool him, he wouldn’t be able to do it anyway.

“I didn’t want to anger you any further. I never saw you react like that to a person.” When Laurent only gaped, Auguste continued. “Whatever it is, something about Damianos seems to rile you up more than anything else ever managed.”

Laurent wanted to explode but he knew that this would only strengthen Auguste’s belief and he wasn’t about to give his brother the satisfaction. He took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at the blond alpha. “I don’t appreciate you treating me like a child, Auguste. I can handle myself and I can handle one single alpha.”

“Then would you mind explaining to me why you are so enraged by Damianos? He’s actually a nice guy.”

“I didn’t know you two were friends.”

“Well, I couldn’t very well tell you because every time his name is mentioned, you look as if someone has insulted our mother.” Auguste crossed his arms before his chest and Laurent really wanted to tell him how absolutely idiotic he was.

“I am not.”

“Yes, you are and it makes no sense. He isn’t one of the traditionalist alphas, he isn’t rude or stupid or slow. Actually, he is very intelligent, courteous and progressive.”

Laurent didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want his brother to praise the savage. Because then he would have to explore his own emotions and he wasn’t quite ready to do that.

“He actually _is_ stupid, Auguste, did you look at his reports?”

“I did and they are without fault. I collected all his reports from the last two weeks and I found no single error in them.”

Laurent’s gaze dropped to the reports still in his hands.  
  
“Very well, then I will take them. You have enough to do anyway. We will talk at dinner with mother. Don’t be late.” Laurent walked out of the office, or rather, he tried, but his brother held him back with a strong grip around his arm.

“Laurent, please don’t be like that.” Auguste knew that his brother could hold a grudge and he also knew that the omega didn’t like him playing overbearing older alpha brother. However, sometimes he couldn’t help it.

“Don’t you dare insinuate that I am acting unreasonable, Auguste. You were the one who kept this from me because you thought I couldn’t handle it and act like an adult. And I don’t intend to take the blame for that. Just because you are an alpha and Damianos is one too, doesn’t give either of you the right to hint at me being foolish just because I expect both of you to do a decent job. Professionally or privately.”

Auguste was horrified. Thinking back he knew how Laurent could interpret his behavior that way. Still, this wasn’t his intention, not at all. He had been startled by the emotional reaction of his brother but looking at it objectively, Laurent wasn’t more emotional than any normal person. It was just so surprising because it was Laurent who reacted like that.

“I’m sorry. I never wanted- Laurent, you know I didn’t intend to make you feel this way.” Auguste pulled his brother even closer, he _needed_ him to understand. Hoping that his brother could smell his sincerity through the scent patches.

Laurent sighed, his shoulders sagging, his nose tucked close to his brother’s collar.

“I know, Auguste. Just. I want to take the reports and I want you to stop shielding me from this alpha. If I need help I will ask for it.”

Auguste had no choice but to agree. He just hoped that whatever happened next wouldn’t hurt his baby brother.

Laurent sat back in his chair und huffed, frustrated and somehow relieved at the same time. It was true. The reports were immaculate.

This meant two things.

  1. Damianos Vallis usually didn’t mess up the reports.
  2. Damianos Vallis was not as stupid as he had assumed.



There were different explanations. For point number one:

  1. Damianos had messed up the reports because something happened in his private life
  2. Damianos had just been distracted
  3. Damianos had messed them up on purpose.



While option a seemed to be the most obvious something didn’t sit right with Laurent. Writing reports wasn’t difficult, it was repetitive and Damianos had done it for years before now. No matter what happened, writing reports should not really suffer from it, this also ruled out option b. So, in conclusion, it had to be option c. But that just didn’t make any sense.

Laurent pondered the issue while scratching the nail of his thumb over his scent patch. It itched, it _always_ itched for the last two months. Maybe something was wrong with the patches. He would need to ask his doctor at the appointment next week.

He returned to the issue at hand. Point number two made him feel a range of emotions. The alpha was actually capable and no idiot like he had assumed before. He didn’t want to inspect his feelings in the slightest, not now. Where he sat at his desk and Lazar across from him fixed him with an intense stare.

* * *

Damen was desperate. Not that he would ever admit it, but it was undeniable. He hadn’t seen Laurent Leblanc in weeks and it killed him. He wanted to storm out of his office and run over the street to the omega in the building across the street.

He needed an excuse to go over there. He couldn’t stand it anymore. The pull in his chest grew worse and worse with every passing day he didn’t see the blond man and couldn’t smell him. He just _needed_ to see him.

It wasn’t normal to feel like this, not even for an alpha interested in an omega. He knew that and it should frighten him, but it didn’t. He wasn’t concerned by the restlessness that spread through him and didn’t even try to figure out what was different with Laurent. What could the knowledge about the reason do to change what he felt?

Laurent, somehow in his mind, the prosecutor became Laurent and wasn’t Mr. Leblanc any longer, was different, that much could be said for sure. But the omega hadn’t sought him out after he had started to do his job properly again almost a month ago and now something needed to change.

He had heard from Auguste in their volleyball training that Laurent wasn’t happy with him at all, although his friend kept the exact reason for that from him. However, it was very unusual for Laurent to be unhappy with Auguste and that itself would have made Damen curious. When Auguste added that their row had started because he had kept Damen’s reports from Laurent, nothing could have stopped Damen’s pulse from speeding up and his instincts from screaming out at him.

His reaction had been unreasonably strong and he had had to concentrate hard to keep his voice level headed when he had asked Auguste about Laurent’s well-being. That had been almost two weeks ago and Damen didn’t dare ask Auguste again because the alpha had pinned him with a suspicious glare and told him to be unconcerned about Laurent’s general health.

It didn’t mean that Damen adhered to it. No, he was very concerned with Laurent’s general health and overall well-being, if only meant he couldn’t ask Auguste about his brother anymore.

A sigh escaped him and he let his head thunk against the top of his desk.

“Damen, are you alright?” Pallas, another detective, asked him from two desks over with a concerned note in his voice.

“I’m fine, I just find myself at an impasse.”

Pallas chuckled. “Is it because of the blond, beautiful omega prosecutor across the street?”

Damen wanted to protest, he really did, but he was a shitty liar and Pallas didn’t deserve to be lied to his face. So, he just kept his mouth shut and groaned.

“Well, in that case, why don’t you go over there to ask him on a date?”

Damen snorted. “Because Auguste would have my head for that.”

“Auguste might be a bit overprotective,” Pallas had overheard their conversation at the volleyball training two weeks ago, “but I’m sure he would see reason. You are a nice guy and very respectful towards omegas in general. Additionally, you’re one of Auguste’s friends. He knows you.”

“Well, then Laurent would have my head.”

“What? For asking him out?”

“He hates me, Pallas.” Damen whined. He felt something constrict in his chest. It hurt and it made him want to scream. He didn’t want to be hated by Laurent. It cause almost physical pain to only think about it.

“He doesn’t know you enough to hate you,” the other alpha argued. He had a point, but Damen wasn’t too proud to admit that he was already beyond reason.

“He thinks I’m a slob who doesn’t take his job seriously. And, I assume, he’s sure that my IQ is somewhere close to my shoe size.”

Pallas laughed. “Well, I admit, you didn’t leave the best first impression when you poured your coffee all over your lap the first time you saw him. And uh- handing in faulty reports on purpose didn’t endear you to him either.”

Damen wanted to be swallowed by the ground. This was mortifying and Pallas didn’t even know how he had almost buried his whole face in Auguste’s shirt last week before training because it had smelled faintly like the omega.

“I can’t just go over there.”

There were multiple reasons for that.

  1. He had no excuse to visit the prosecutors.
  2. He wouldn’t know what to say to the blond man.
  3. He was pretty sure said man wouldn’t let him open his mouth anyway before giving him a serious tongue lashing that he dared to leave his desk without a good reason just because he wanted to talk to him.
  4. He couldn’t bear the humiliation of sporting a boner just because the other man deigned him worth a glance.
  5. He didn’t know if he could control himself enough to not scent Laurent unabashedly should he catch a whiff of his delicious scent through the patches and THAT would cause Auguste to kill him for sure. If his brother didn’t beat him to that.



He groaned again, his forehead still pressed against his desk, when he smelt it. He shot up in his seat, looking around wildly.

When he caught a glimpse of golden hair, he couldn’t keep himself in check anymore. His body moved on its own.

* * *

Laurent walked into the building, one hand rubbing over his neck. He usually tried very hard to keep himself from displaying such weakness, but he couldn’t help himself. His scent glands itched like crazy and that for the last weeks without any respite. It took all his self-control to keep himself from peeling the scent patches from his skin.

Now, he had only one mission. He needed to talk to the alpha who didn’t leave him one second of calm and peace. He hadn’t decided on his course of action yet. Either he would annihilate the detective verbally or he would ask him out on a date.

He had devoured every single of Damianos Vallis’ reports over the last two weeks since he had found them in Auguste’s office. It was very fortunate indeed that he was always the last person in the office and Damianos seemed to be in the habit of handing in his reports in the evenings.

If he really tried, he could get his hands on every single page written by the alpha without any trouble. And he had. It had become a bit of an obsession, if he had to be honest. He would never admit it out loud, but he guarded the written words of Damianos jealously.

In the beginning he had done it to prove a point. He wouldn’t act like a grade-schooler just because Damianos seemed to be an idiot and Auguste could choke on his patronizing words. But then gradually his opinion had changed. And drastically.

Damianos proved to be a very accomplished detective with a keen eye for details and an astonishing knowledge of the law, even for a person of his profession. And nothing turned Laurent more on than competence.

He was still flabbergasted that the person who had trouble to distinct between there, they’re, they and their could write such perfect reports. This more than anything had clued him in on the fact that the alpha had included the mistakes on purpose and he wanted to know why.

He entered the third floor and was immediately under close scrutinization. The last time he had been here, he hadn’t even registered the looks. He had been too focused on Damianos, but now, he saw how the people stared at him. He was used to it. People always stared at him.

Laurent lifted his head and saw how the man in question was already walking towards him. He opened his mouth to greet him, but Damianos stared at him with such a wild look in his eyes, Laurent thought better of it. He felt how his eyes widened, especially when Damianos gestured to follow him.

He didn’t even think twice but trailed after the big alpha. Even better. He didn’t want to have this conversation in the bullpen. They ended up in an interrogation room and Laurent couldn’t suppress the smirk.

“Am I in trouble, detective?” He looked up in time to catch the alpha gulp down air.

“No.” The deep voice made shudders run up and down his spine. How could his reaction have shifted so significantly in just some weeks?

“Good. May I try something?” He needed to test his theory and that only worked if the alpha complied.

Damianos stared down at him, as if he tried to figure out a very hard riddle. “Yes.”

“You don’t even know what I want to try. Shouldn’t you be a bit more weary, detective Vallis?”

The alpha swallowed hard. “I don’t need to know. I’d let you do whatever you want.” The words fell from his lips almost involuntary, Laurent could see it. The alpha’s eyes widened and he looked as if he wanted to take them back. This only supported his theory.

Time to get certitude. He reached out and placed his fingers to Damianos’ naked forearm. A surge of warmth jolted through him, up his arm and pooled in his gut. He had to grit his teeth to keep the whimper from slipping.

The alpha caught his hand when he pulled away. “Please, don’t,” he pleaded.

Laurent stared up into his dark, wonderful eyes. “You feel it too, don’t you?”

“ _Yes.”_ The word was heavy and pleading and Laurent couldn’t pull away, even if he would have wanted to.

He stared up in the unreasonable attractive face and huffed. “I did some research. Apparently, something in our biology has to be very compatible for this to happen.”

Damen tightened his grip around his hand, as if he was afraid Laurent would pull back. “I don’t care.”

Laurent laughed. “But I do.” He didn’t like this. He didn’t want to be a slave to his own instincts. He wouldn’t tolerate that. “And you should too. You are compelled to find me attractive and intriguing. Nothing of this is real.”

Damen bit his bottom lip and the omega could see something warring between his eyes. “I thought you to be the most beautiful and interesting person before I had any symptoms. This isn’t only instinct for me.” Honesty had won out and Laurent didn’t know how to respond.

“I wanted to have you in my bed the moment I saw you and after the first time we spoke I knew I wanted to take you out. However, then I messed up and I thought I wouldn’t get the chance to do that anymore.” The alpha stared in his eyes while he spoke the words. He had such pretty eyes. Dark, warm and full of passion. Laurent could detect sparks of gold in them.

“How much time do you take to think about the words supplied by your brain before they leave your mouth? Half a second?” He asked sarcastically. Damianos looked seriously startled by his own word vomit. “Well, at least you are honest. That’s more than most people are. All the sources I found advised on seeking out an expert and I intend to do that. Would you want to accompany me?”

Damen’s face fell. “Yes. You’re right. We should do that. I am free this weekend. I apologize for what I said. I don’t know what came over me.”

Laurent felt his heart clench at the disappointed and confused face of the alpha before him. His mouth let the words escape before he really thought them through, “good. I will schedule a meeting this weekend before lunch. Are you free after that, I’ll make reservations?”

He couldn’t regret the words when he saw the blinding smile directed at him.

* * *

Damen wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans. His gaze flitted to the entrance of the waiting room of the secondary gender specialist. He had been too early by almost half an hour because he couldn’t wait at home any longer.

Laurent had, as promised, arranged an appointment for them with the best known expert in the city and now he sat here, Saturday morning at half past ten, a nervous wreck.

He stood up and paced.

He knew he would feel much better if Laurent were there too. His skin felt too tight on him and he almost growled at all the scents flooding his senses. He felt as if he was shortly before a rut, self-aware enough of his heightened aggressiveness and territoriality. 

Right when he thought he couldn't handle the wait anymore the door opened. In came Laurent, hair artfully tousled, endless legs clad in dark grey slacks, slender upper-body accentuated by the pale blue shirt and silver-blue waistcoat, eyes immediately fixating on Damen.

He looked- Damen didn't even have words to describe it. Laurent looked- devastating and he wanted to press him up against the wall and ravish him until his careful control slipped and he was a moaning wreck. The alpha felt the blood rush southwards.

"You're able to follow simple instructions. That's good. I wasn't sure." Laurent said coolly and gracefully sat in one of the chairs. His eyes still tracking every movement of Damen. He felt himself grow hot, whether through shame, anger or arousal wasn't clear.

A growl left his mouth and immediately the omega across from him froze. The hesitation was only there for a second, but it seemed to make Laurent furious. If he was more angered by Damen's disrespect or his own instinctive reaction wasn't really clear.

He sneered and leaned back in the chair, as if he liked lounging in the same room as an obviously agitated alpha, just to deliberately raise an eyebrow over blazing eyes and saying, "don't bother. I'm already aware of the fact that alphas are beasts. You don't have to educate me with cavemen posturing."

Damen was horrified by himself. Alphas were made aware of the effect of their growls from a young age and it was the height of disrespect to growl in the presence of an _omega._ The only exception was between mates and there the growls were never intended for intimidation. What had he done?

"I'm so very sorry. Really, I don't know what's wrong with me." He gripped his hair and shook his head. "Please, believe me when I say that I'd never ever try to force you or even hurt you. I'm not some savage."

Something in Laurent's shoulder's seemed to relax. He rearranged his long limbs on the chair and stared Damen down with his incredible, blue eyes. "Hard to believe after what I've seen so far from you. Mangling the grammatical structure of our beautiful language beyond all recognition is certainly fitting for a savage."

The alpha felt the next rush of heat through him but this time it wasn't anger, he was sure. Just as he wanted to open his mouth, a beta man entered the room and smiled at them. "Mr. Vallis and Mr. Leblanc, I assume?" He waited until both of them nodded and then nodded. "If you'd please follow me. Dr. DuPont will be with you shortly."

He directed them to a beautiful office, where they sat down on comfortable armchairs.

"Look, I'm really sorry. Something is definitively wrong with me and I normally don't act like such an-" Damen needed to search for the right word.

"Arsehole." He said at the same time as Laurent filled the gap with, "Disrespecting git."

He couldn't keep the laughter back and even the omega had a smirk on his lips. It was then that Dr. DuPont entered the office, a faint scent drifting towards them.

Damen was on his feet immediately. He placed himself between Laurent and the unknown alpha who entered the room, posture intimidating, heart racing and thoughts occupied with _protect, mine, protectprotectprotect._

"Interesting," was all the man said, looking from Damen to the chair Laurent occupied and then to a file. "You don't have to worry, Mr. Vallis, I'm no threat to Mr. Leblanc."

Finally Damen's rational brain caught up with the situation and he let his shoulders relax and smiled apologetically at the man.

"I'm sorry. I'm not myself today. It's nice to meet you Dr. DuPont."

The alpha returned his smile and nodded. "Nothing to worry about. I'm used to reactions like yours. Most of my patients have similar symptoms." He walked towards his desk while Damen sat down on his armchair.

He turned towards Laurent, the apology already on his tongue and what he saw made him grateful that he already sat. The omega was flushed red with blown pupils, he bit on his bottom lip and had his fists balled on the armrests.

Dr. DuPond immediately offered pushed one water bottle closer to Laurent while Damen stared speechless at the beauty before him. Laurent's gaze flickered to him for a second and that was almost enough for Damen to lose control completely. He observed how the blond man reached for the bottle with shaking fingers.

He wanted to lick each and every one of those beautiful digits, suck at the scent gland located on those wrists and biting his way up over the pale skin to his throat.

"That's really interesting," Dr. DuPond remarked again, his gaze jumping from Laurent to Damen. "Would you please explain to me why the two of you are here today?”

* * *

Laurent stared down at his hands. They were still a bit shaky and he hated it. Clenching his fists, he looked up to Dr. DuPond with renewed determination.

“We’re here because something is happening to us and I want to know what that is. It can’t go on like this. I don’t like to feel so powerless all the time.” He hated to admit it, but it was enough for Damianos to be close to him and he lost control.

“Could you describe your symptoms more closely? What clued you in on the fact that it has something to do with your secondary gender?”

Laurent stared at him disbelievingly. “You saw what just happened. It’s pretty obvious and if you’re not a complete idiot everybody could come to the conclusion that it has something to do with our secondary gender.”

Dr. DuPond allowed himself a small smile. “Still, please indulge my request.”

“We met half a year ago when I started to work as a prosecutor and had the first interaction with the detective department. At first I was just more sensitive to Damianos’ scent, I could smell him through the patches. Then I began to feel itchy, starting at my mating gland and spreading from there. In the last months, I got nervous when we didn’t see each other regularly, the intervals getting closer. My last heat was a bad one, very bad, I was sick for a week after it.”

A strangled noise could be heard from Damianos at that. Laurent ignored him and continued, “Although my heats are normally rather mild. Additionally, Damianos just has to look at me for my urge to bare my neck to him. I actually _enjoy_ his caveman behavior and that’s exactly what unsettles me the most. I’m not this out of control usually. Not even during a heat.”

Laurent declared all of this information as if he was talking about the weather. He wanted to provide the facts and he wasn’t known for being shy. However, something about disclosing all those details to an alpha while _his_ alpha sat beside him, looking as if he might faint, felt somehow very intimate. He was furious with himself for thinking about Damianos as his. However, he had given up on trying to prevent this train of thoughts.

He forced himself to keep eye contact with the doctor.

He also forced himself to acknowledge Dr. DuPonds objective attractiveness. He was a handsome man, very alpha in an unobtrusive manner, completely different from Damianos. Damianos was the epitome of every alpha trait out there. Working in law enforcement, built like a brick wall, almost 6’6’’ tall, intimidating posture, handsome, square face and a certain self-confidence that made his knees weak.

The dimple in his cheek, unruly curls and soft eyes might object to this stereotype, but for Laurent they made him only more attractive. He wanted to climb in his lap and curl up against his chest. Damianos’ chest had to be very comfortable although it looked very sculpted, but it had to feel save and sheltered to be in his arms.

He forcefully ripped his thoughts away from the alpha beside him. He was furious with himself. He stared angrily at the desk, his hands clenched around his armrest. Dr. DuPond now looked at Damen with a raised eyebrow. “And do you have similar symptoms?”

The alpha cleared his throat. “I do. I can’t keep away from him, I’d do anything to get him to look at me. I want to protect him so much it almost hurts to keep myself back. You saw how I spin out of control if he’s near me, but it’s infinitively worse if I can’t see him. I get aggravated and aggressive. I don’t ever feel like that not in rut and certainly not outside of it. Him talking about his heat makes me want to claim him right here.” Damianos hung his head in shame.

The doctor looked them once over and nodded slowly. “I think I know what could be the issue here. First, I’d like a blood sample of both of you. We need to analyze the pheromones in your blood, my colleague can do that while we talk about your situation. After what I’ve heard, the analysis is more of a formality than anything else.”

Ten minutes later their blood samples had been taken and Dr. DuPond started with his diagnosis.

“I assume both of you know about bonding and compatibility?” They nodded.

“Good. I’m now going to tell you that there is something like a soul-bond. I know the term is worn out by all the fairytales, but it’s not like in the stories. What I’m talking about is a compatibility exceeding every scale known to us. Years before the first suppressants, our society tackled the mating issue with compatibility between an alpha and an omega. The reason for that is easy, every compatibility score above 60% is not only based on biology but also on character and emotion. You have to be compatible in every sense to exceed those 60%.”

He paused for a second and then continued, looking at the two of them, “Today suppressants and scent patches do allow us to suppress our instincts. Mating isn’t only based on compatibility anymore. There are only very few pairs with a compatibility score above 60%. Also these 60% don’t come over night. You have to spend some time in each others proximity. Not necessary romantically, but emotions have to be involved.”

Laurent almost burst out with laughter. Emotions had to be involved, very well. Now, there were definitively emotions involved.

Dr. DuPond observed him closely while he continued talking, “We can measure up to a compatibility of 80%. Everything above wasn’t observed often enough by experts for us to gather enough data. All your symptoms point towards a compatibility above 80%.”

“And what does this mean for us?” Damen’s voice washed over Laurent’s frayed nerves like a balm. It helped him calm down.

“This means that you two are basically perfect mates. You won’t find anyone else more compatible anywhere in the world. It also means you won’t be able to stay away from each other while you’re in heat or rut.”

“What? You must be joking. I won’t be forced into this. Not if I can help it.” Laurent knew his outburst wasn’t really rational but he didn’t have the time to think about this thing. He wouldn’t bend to some baser instinct and just accept it.

“You can’t help it. You were sick for a week after only two heats. If you continue with staying away from each other you will die.”

“Can’t you do something? Stronger suppressants or we could stay away from each other?”

The doctor smiled sardonically. “There are no suppressants strong enough for your compatibility score. Especially because your compatibility isn’t based on biology alone. It isn’t decisive for you to not smell each other. You could try to stay away from each other, but if I’m right, and I’m rarely wrong, and your score is above 80%, you will be back in each others proximity within a year.”

Laurent felt all the fight leave his body. He felt choked up. This couldn’t be happening.

* * *

Lunch was a much graver affair than either of them had anticipated. Their results came back just as they had recovered from the shock of the news. Their compatibility was indeed exceeding the scales and even Dr. DuPond was a bit taken aback. He immediately scheduled an appointment with them on Monday.

Now they sat at the restaurant Laurent had chosen and stared at their menus. Damen wanted to reach out, but he knew, Laurent wouldn’t like it in the least. The omega hadn’t said one word to him since Dr. DuPond informed them of their need to spend the next rut or heat together.

“Well then, we do what we have to. However, I refuse to mate you out of a sense of obligation. We can spend our heats and ruts together but more than that is not on the table right now. Am I clear?” Laurent looked at him with icy eyes and Damen wanted to protest for only a second before he nodded in defeat. He would bow to the wishes of his- _the_ omega.

“Whatever you want. I would never force you.”

Laurent sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. This isn’t easy for either of us. You would have preferred another situation as well I’m sure.”

“I could imagine worse things than being soul-bonded to you.” Damen decided right then to always be honest with Laurent.

“You don’t know me. I could be your worst nightmare.”

“But that’s just it, isn’t it. You couldn’t. Although we don’t know each other very well and most of the time we had a conversation with each other you were insulting me, I know that I don’t dislike being bonded to you.” Damen shrugged. His alpha was as much part of him as his brain or his upbringing, why should he be angry about it?

“You really are simple, aren’t you?” The words were insulting, but the corners of Laurent’s mouth twitched and Damen couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face.

“I just prefer to avoid making everything overcomplicated.”

Laurent snorted, almost involuntary. Damen felt something swell in his chest.

“So, just to lay all my cards on the table. My next rut is in a month. When is your next heat? We should most likely make some arrangements.”

Laurent reached out to grad the water bottle and once again Damen was distracted by the long, slender fingers and graceful movement. “My last heat was just a month ago. For your rut, I’ll come over the evening before and we will go on from there.”

“Good. Could you maybe wear a collar? I don’t know how much I could keep myself in check if I have you in my bed during a rut.”

Laurent nodded. “Yes. You’re right. Both of us will feel safer with a collar.”

Damen smiled gratefully. The collar would keep him from biting Laurent and mating him without his consent. That was at least something.

“Well, as we’re going to fuck in four weeks, we can just try to get along. Tell me why you went into law enforcement,” Laurent demanded and pinned Damen to his seat with only a look from his eyes. He really was incredible. His lips looked so soft and completely in contrast with the hard expression in his eyes. Damen wanted to kiss him.

“I wanted to protect people. I always had a bit over-functioning instincts and this gave me a good outlet for that. Afterwards, I realized that I was actually good at my job.” He shrugged. Most people didn’t really show interest beyond that.

“And you never thought about changing careers? I mean your job can be very demanding. There are cases were you fail or catch the perp only after the crime. You can’t really prevent bad things from happening.”

Obviously, Laurent wouldn’t be one of those people. No, Laurent was the type of person to lay his finger into a festering wound and getting the last truth out of another person. Damen grimaced a bit.

“Yes, you’re right. Sometimes it’s a bit much. Especially if children are involved. I once had a case about omega trafficking and that was the moment I decided I would need professional help. I’m seeing a psychologist regularly.”

Laurent looked very surprised. “You are?”

“Why so surprised?” Damen teased with a small smile on his face.

“Because you don’t give off the impression of a guy who would ever admit to seeing a psychologist regularly.”

Damen leaned in closer. He could smell Laurent even better than before. His scent was divine.

“Because I’m a macho alpha? Too proud to admit I sometimes need help too?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “You’d be right. I struggled for a long time to admit that I’m not invincible. My family is very traditional. All alphas, my father, my stepmother and my brother. They have a quite toxic view on an alpha’s role and alpha traits. All the pressure almost crushed me, but when I broke away from those views, I realized that I could meet their demands even better than before. I feel stronger for all my weaknesses because I can admit that I have much work to do and improve.”

Laurent observed him closely, before smirking. “Oh my, I never expected that answer.”

Damen felt a blush creeping up his neck. He ducked his head and tried to hide his blazing cheeks. The omega could actually kill him with that grin. It was devastating.

Fortunately their lunch arrived and Damen had a good reason for a change of topic. He asked Laurent inane questions, which the omega still took seriously and answered him honestly. Damen was absolutely taken by him.

When they stood, however, he couldn’t keep away anymore. He stepped close to the omega, who looked up to him through his lashes, a small smile on his lips, and reached out slowly. “Can I touch you?”

“Yes. But don’t overstep.”

Damen grinned and touched the tips of his fingers to Laurent’s sharp cheekbone.

A jolt of electricity ran up his arms. He felt as if his fingers were glued to the soft skin under his hand. He never wanted to pull back. But Laurent didn’t let it go on forever. He stepped back. “This was nice.” He pulled out a business card and held it out to Damen. “Here is my phone number. If there is an emergency you can call me. Have a nice weekend. I’ll see you on Monday for our appointment.”

He was out of the door faster than Damen could try to stop him. He was left behind with a bereft feeling and hopeful yearning.

* * *

Laurent didn‘t look forward to what he had to do now. Actually, he dreaded it, although he would never admit it. He sat down to his weekly Sunday brunch with Auguste and their parents at their favorite restaurant with a heavy feeling in his gut.

Hennike and Aleron would arrive in approximately half an hour but the brothers always used the time to catch up.

"I have news.“ Better to get it over and done with. Maybe Auguste would have calmed down by the time their parent’s arrived.

His older brother looked up with a suspicious look in his eyes. "What news? Do you intend to sue Damianos for staring at your ass too much?“

Laurent barked a startled laugh. "He does that?“

"Didn‘t you realize? He does all the time. Almost as much as he stares at your mouth. It’s disturbing to be honest.“ Auguste leaned back in his chair and Laurent hoped that this was a good sign. His brother wouldn’t be too surprised by the turn of events, wouldn’t he?

"We went to see an Alpha/Omega expert. Apparently, Damianos and I have such a high compatibility that it exceeds the scales. Long story short, we won‘t find anyone else with such high compatibility in this world and we have to spend ruts and heats together. We have another appointment tomorrow.“

Auguste blanched and then he slammed one hand on the table.

"What?“ He sounded very unsettled and Laurent almost sighed. He could suppress it but only with great effort.

"You heard me. We will have to spend heats and ruts together. However, he didn’t say anything about mating or external love affairs although I doubt anyone would want to share us with the other one.“

"So, just for someone with my intellect, you have to fuck even if you don‘t want to.“

Laurent bit his lip and nodded slowly.

Auguste stood with so much force his chair toppled over. Laurent was just glad that they were almost alone and the service personnel was already used to their antics.

"No. They can‘t do that.“ Auguste balled his fists. "That’s practically rape.“

Now Laurent couldn‘t hold back the eye-roll.

"Don‘t be overdramatic. There is no "they“, this is Damianos and me. We might not be in a relationship but still, our omega and alpha are parts of us. Nothing more and nothing less. There is no external force pulling us together. And you don’t really believe that it’s a hardship for me to fuck this prime specimen of an alpha. As long as I don’t have to mate him everything will be alright.“

Auguste stared at him with his jaw on the floor. "You can‘t be serious. Your choice is either to fuck him or what? be sick? have torturous heats?“

"Die.“

His older brother gave a choked noise and had to support himself on a table. "What?“

"Yes. We could both die. But don’t worry. I would have liked to fuck him even without the dying part. Just look at him.“

Laurent had found Damianos attractive even before their soul-bond, a term he refused to say aloud. However, Auguste was still a bit panicky. He dragged one hand through his hair. "What did you arrange?“

"I will meet up with him for his next rut, wearing a collar and then we will fuck and go our ways until my heat comes.“ Laurent waved his hand dismissively.

"Now calm down. I assure you, after having thought things through I’m not thrilled but also not devastated. I don’t have to mate with him and we can just live our life and if he’s any good in bed I’ll even get amazing sex out of it. More than I had before.“

Auguste still paced before the table but his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Well, you could have met a worse alpha for this. Damianos is a good man and if I have to imagine you being compatible with anyone then he would be my top choice. I still don‘t like it.“

"You don‘t have to like it. Just to accept it and don’t try to threaten Damen just because he’s the unfortunate guy who’s compatible to me.“

"Not even a little bit?“ Auguste sounded hopeful, but Laurent shook his head decisively.

"No. He‘s just as much a victim of circumstances as I am and I hope you won’t hold it against him. You can’t actually because then you would have to hold it against me too.“

"I’d never.“ Auguste looked horrified and Laurent satisfied. Now his brother only needed to sit down again and they could continue with their brunch like before.

* * *

Monday evening and Damen was still reeling from the revelation from Saturday. He sat in the chair before Dr. DuPond’s desk with Laurent by his side but he was still entirely unprepared.

“You will most likely be able to live your life independent of each other except for the heat/rut issue. Maybe you will feel the urge to see each other but that should be controllable. You will work as each other’s anchors. If you see each other regularly, then neither of you should experience any limitations in your private life. Yet, should you decide to separate, I think you’d need professional help for that and at least a continent between you. As I understood it, however, that’s not your intention right now.”

Laurent nodded, clearly relieved. Damen didn’t know how he felt about that.

“Also, Laurent your fertility won’t be affected by this. It will still be a lot less likely for you as a male omega to get pregnant.” Laurent nodded again and now Damen clearly felt a twinge of- something. He redirected his focus to the doctor.

“So, essentially we will just have to be intimate maximum eight times a year and everything else will be like before?”

“That’s not completely accurate, Mr. Vallis. You _will_ feel different. You will have the urge to protect Mr. Leblanc and you will feel heightened levels of aggressiveness and restlessness, but you will be able to control it. I will prescribe you suppressants specially designed for couples like you.”

Dr. DuPond wrote something down on a scrap of paper and Damen felt how his gaze wandered back to the omega beside him. Laurent looked a lot more relaxed. It was a good look on him. Damen hadn’t seen him since their lunch on Saturday and he had _missed_ him.

He wanted to talk to him more. Get to know every little quirk he might have. But he wouldn’t push himself onto the other man. Not more than he was ready for and Laurent obviously wasn’t thrilled by the whole compatibility thing.

After their doctor’s appointment, Laurent left, without a backward glance and it broke Damen’s heart a little bit. He resigned himself to another night of tossing and turning in bed, trying to make sense of all these little bits and pieces of reality crashing around him.

His friends obviously realized that something was wrong but only Nikandros actually had the guts to call him out for it. He sat Damen down, poured alcohol down his throat and forced him to talk. Damen told him everything.

“You have to be kidding me,” Nik sounded so resigned to his fate, that Damen couldn’t keep the laugh back.

“Sorry for that one, Nik.”

“No, seriously. You can’t skip even one single blond on your way through life, could you? The only one who had no interest in all your alphaness had to be your soul-bond. That’s just sad and ironic at the same time. I don’t even know what to tell you anymore.” Nik downed his whole gin and tonic and got another one and then it was just the two of them drinking.

“I can’t believe it. How can you do that to me? Why couldn’t you just _skip_ Laurent Leblanc? I mean, do you WANT me to despair?” Nik mumbled sometime later. His face smashed somewhere against Damen’s thigh and his words slurred.

Damen was in this confusing state of drunkenness where he couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh or cry. His feelings all knotted together and he just hoped that his tactic of ignoring everything around him would work out and the whole issue would resolve itself.

Obviously, it didn’t resolve itself and his rut crept up on him without really talking things through with Laurent. Well, they talked about Damen’s rut on the phone, what it would be like and what he needed from Laurent. But otherwise they didn’t address the issue hanging over their heads.

They saw each other in passing and every time Damen wanted to wrap the other man in his arms and hold him close, but Laurent didn‘t what that and fortunately the suppressants worked and he could function normally. Even though his instincts went haywire whenever he saw the omega.

Right now, he was at home, pacing his living room, waiting for Laurent to arrive. They had scheduled his arrival to this evening and now it was 7 PM and Laurent still wasn’t there. He was freaking out. What if something had happened to him? A snarl broke free from his chest. He was working himself up and it did him no good.

Finally, a knock could be heard and Damen almost ran to the door. He opened it only as wide as necessary and pulled Laurent through the gap. Immediately, he buried his face in the long column of the omega‘s neck. The scent enveloping him calmed down all of his restlessness. And Laurent still wore his patches.

The omega combed his fingers through Damen’s curls and it felt heavenly. He actually melted a bit against the man who was still pressed against the door.

“Hello there, I think I was never greeted this enthusiastically and with so little words by someone except for the dog of my brother.” Laurent’s voice washed over him and Damen didn’t even care that he had just essentially insulted him to be on the same level as a dog.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

Laurent continued to massage his scalp. He hummed noncommittal, but his fingers never stopped playing with Damen’s hair. “How about you show me your apartment and I will remove my scent patches?”

Damen didn’t want to pull back, but the outlook of having this delicious scent surround him without the muting effect of the scent patches was much too enticing for him to remain stubborn. He stepped away and rubbed his neck slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, I always get very affectionate with my rut partners.”

“Like a puppy.” Again a dog analogy. Damen chose to ignore it. He showed Laurent his kitchen, living room, the guest bedroom, the guest bathroom, his office, the master bathroom, his fitness room and the master bedroom. Laurent followed him curiously and grinned at the end of the tour. “I’m surprised. You actually have taste, although it looks a bit sparse, still miles better than what I expected.”

Damen couldn’t help but preen under the compliment of the omega. Yes, his instincts were definitively taking over. Laurent went to the guest bathroom and when he came back, Damen was almost put flat on his arse from the scent that surrounded him.

* * *

Helping Damianos (it’s _Damen_ , Laurent, please) through his rut was eye opening. Laurent wouldn’t ever have thought that this alpha could surprise him. But Damianos did. In the best way possible.

He lounged in his bathtub in his apartment, still pleasantly sore and blissed out by the best sex he had ever had. The last three days had been pure and undiluted pleasure, only interrupted by the best cuddles he could remember ever receiving. Damianos was very affectionate and attentive when he wasn’t fucking him senseless.

Well, that wasn’t absolutely true. Even then Damianos had been attentive. Laurent grinned. Yes, that was definitely something he could live with. If it meant that he got fucked like that every now and then, he would even admit that the soul-bond (no, he still didn’t verbalize this term) had its advantages.

He felt grounded like never before. Certainly not for the last seven months since the first time he had met the alpha and it was perfect. Everything was just- good. Nothing to worry about and a lot of great shagging to look forward to. And then that scent. Even only the memory of Damianos‘ unfiltered scent in his nose made his knees weak and slick covering his hole.

And he would get it again.

Sighing happily, he dipped his head under water and started to wash his hair. His arms felt a bit like clay, his legs were still shaky and he almost regretted not taking Damen up on the offer of taking the bath back at his place.

However, he needed to get back to work and this was easiest done from his place. Here were all his suits and all his shoes and he just wanted to sleep in his own bed. The massive nesting bed was the only omega luxury he had indulged in. He simply loved nesting, even outside of heat, and the bed just provided him with everything he needed. It was also very very big.

When he got out of the bad it was the only thing he could do to fall face first into the soft nest he had constructed before he had left for Damianos’ in case he needed comfort and then he already slept. He slept like the death and when he got up the centered, relaxed and very alert feeling persisted. It was amazing. He came to the office, ignoring all the gazes thrown his way, he was used to them after all and hesitated before his own desk. There was a note and a box.

The note only read _‘Thank you’_ and when he opened the box, he could smell tea leaves. It was a collection of high quality black tea and he actually smiled. He had mentioned after one bout of amazing sex and before Damen’s knot had gone down that he preferred tea to coffee and still forgot to buy new tea for his office after Auguste had pilfered the last of his tea bags.

It seemed that the alpha actually remembered, despite his addled state of rut. Laurent felt uncharacteristically touched. This little gesture was very attentive. He got his phone out and sent Damen a thank you.

_Do you like them?_

**_Yes, very much. Thank you._ **

_Good. I wasn’t sure. I don’t drink tea._

**_I’m not surprised._ **

_What’s that supposed to mean?_

Laurent smiled down at his phone. He was glad nobody paid him any attention this early in the morning.

**_Just that you’re a savage and this is confirming my opinion of you._ **

_First a dog, yes, don’t think I forgot that, and now a savage._

Laurent bit his lip, hard, to keep from chuckling.

**_No, seriously. I really appreciate it. That was very attentive._ **

_Always._

Laurent had to put the phone away or he would answer something teasing and that could be interpreted as flirting and he wasn’t _flirting_ with Damianos. He would also never admit that he had saved Damianos’ number under Damen in his phone. He wasn’t swayed by brown puppy eyes and a charming smile. Not him.

They were due to another doctor’s appointment this evening, as this was Damen’s first rut with Laurent present. He actually dragged his feet until Auguste threatened him to drive him himself and then Laurent gave in.

Fortunately, the appointment only consisted of them handing in their journals, where they recorded the changes the bond induced and letting the assistant take some of their blood for later analysis.

Damen caught his arm on their way out. “Would you care for a coffee? They have tea too.”

Laurent knew what was happening. He actually wanted to go and that clued him in on the fact that he should decline. “I can’t. I’m sorry. I have another engagement now. Sorry, Damianos.” He carefully extracted himself, otherwise he would have agreed in spite of his initial denial.

* * *

Damen read the same word of the police report for the tenth time that day. He was distracted and Nik clued in on the fact. He sighed and kicked Damen’s shin under their pushed together desks. “What is it?”

“Nothing. Stop kicking me, damn it. That _hurts_.” Damen made a face and scowled at his friend while rubbing his shin.

“Don’t try to deflect. Tell me what has you sighing like a lovesick thirteen-year old. Or a Disney princess. Well, your singing ability isn’t good enough for a Disney princess and I don’t see any cute little animals surrounding you, so I stick with the lovesick thirteen-year old.”

“You are the Disney princess, Nik. You have the hair at least,” Damen retorted while scowling at Nikandros’ perfect bun. He had amazing hair and they both knew it.

“And it’s just- Laurent will start his heat sometime this week and I’m nervous. What if I’m screwing it up?”

“You’re definitively going to screw something. And I doubt there will be any complaints.” Nik waggled his eyebrows and Damen seriously asked himself how this could be his best friend.

What had he done in a previous life to deserve this? Still, he laughed when he rolled his eyes.

“Oh, do shut up.” He returned to his report with a little laugh.

Around midday he got a message from Laurent.

**_It‘s today. You still have my address?_ **

_Yes, do you need something?_

**_No._ **

To say that Damen was nervous and jittery the rest of the day would be the underestimation of the century. He finished almost an hour earlier than normally and drove directly to Laurent’s.

When the omega opened the door, Damen gasped. Laurent looked lovely and he smelled divine. He stood there, shell shocked until Laurent huffed impatiently and dragged him inside.

Immediately, he had his arms full of flushed, warm omega in the throes of pre-heat. "Alpha. Finally. Did you get lost on your way here or was there a kitty you needed to rescue from a tree.“

Laurent‘s finger started to peel on his scent patches, careful but very eager and Damen let his head fall back with a something between a groan and a laugh.

"So, either I‘m too stupid to be trusted to find my way here without getting lost or I‘m too helpful to be reliable?“

Laurent snorted against his skin, the warm breath puffed against Damen‘s neck and he involuntarily tightened his grip around Laurent‘s hips. "Your words not mine.“

The blond man hummed triumphantly when the first scent patch was removed and dived right in while his one hand was still carefully removing the other one.

"You smell so _good._ “ He attached his lips to Damen‘s scent gland and suckled lightly. The alpha felt his knees go weak.

He just helplessly held the omega close to him, trying to keep his wits around and willing his erection to stay put. Laurent was in pre-heat and that didn‘t require sex. He just needed closeness and that was something Damen was more than willing to provide.

However, his own alpha instinct went almost rampant with desire for his soul-bonded. He wanted Laurent always and he got to have him so rarely it almost hurt. He understood Laurent’s reluctance and he knew that only because HE was ready to give a relationship a chance didn’t mean that Laurent was too.

But that didn’t keep him from wanting it. He craved the presence of the man in his arms and sometimes he thought he would go crazy with longing. It didn’t help that the short interactions they had endeared Laurent even more to him.

The man was intelligent, insulting and intriguing. It was the hottest combination Damen ever observed in another human being. Laurent’s beauty certainly didn’t hurt, but it was his character that made Damen swoon.

"Somewhere more important with your thoughts?“ Laurent’s voice ripped him out of his musings and he realized that the omega had pulled back and stared up at him. His hair was a mess and Damen reached out to push a strand behind Laurent’s ear.

"No, I was thinking about you.“

Laurent lowered his gaze and- _blushed._ Damen‘s heart skipped a beat.

"You really are a charmer, aren‘t you? Auguste warned me already.“ He stepped back and turned around. "Can I offer you something? A drink or a snack?“

Damen knew he should answer but he was utterly incapacitated by what he saw. Laurent wore loose fitting, flowing trousers made from a material that clung to his ass like it was painted on. The alpha almost swallowed his own tongue.

Laurent turned around with a crooked eyebrow and Damen only shook his head. The omega grinned ferally and advanced on him.

"Thank fuck. I am not sure if I could have been patient enough to be a good host.“ Then he kissed Damen and the last rational thoughts were buried deep down under their passion for each other.

* * *

This strange routine became normal. Laurent couldn’t really pin-point the exact moment in time when that happened but it did. He suspected it was somewhere around his fifth heat shared with Daminos that it wasn’t jolting to think about sharing them with the alpha anymore.

What was now constantly changing was the way they acted around each other. Laurent had found himself drifting off to thoughts about warm, brown eyes and thick biceps more and more lately. The last time he had helped Damen through his rut, he had actually worn the alpha’s shirt for his way home and slept in it for a week after that.

Damen sent him funny or cute videos all the time and Laurent returned the favor by sending him cooking receipts and interesting facts. Sometimes a photo of a museum he visited. They were... friends? He genuinely liked the alpha as a person and that made the situation easier.

Dr. DuPond still observed their bond and pheromone levels and was very satisfied how the two of them reacted to their suppressants. Their journal entries provided him with new information and they were both glad to help as long as they could rely on him.

It was true, after almost two years of this soul-bond manifesting between them, Laurent still had to see big changes in his everyday life. He could stay away from Damen, although there were days when he wished he wouldn‘t. He didn’t feel compelled to please the alpha more than any omega wanted to please an alpha.

And most importantly, that seemed to apply to Damen too. The man didn’t try to push himself onto Laurent just because it was what he wanted. Laurent had no idea if Damen had pursued a romantic relationship in the last two years. If he did it stayed casual because Laurent could never detect the scent of another person intimately entagled with Damen in his home. Damen‘s bedroom only carried their scents.

It worked out perfectly. And the more Laurent got to know about the other man, the more he regretted it. Damen was funny, compassionate and fair minded. It didn’t help that he was rather intelligent and observant and, admittedly, very handsome. His scent drove Laurent out of his mind and he thanked every deity in existence that someone had developed scent patches.

He stared down at the report from Damianos on his desk. There was something unclear and normally Laurent would write him an email but now, now he wanted to hear the alpha’s voice. His phone was at his ear before he made the concious decision to press the call button and he waited with baited breath for Damen to pick up.

"Laurent? Are you alright?“ Damen picked up sounding worried and Laurent almost laughed.

"I‘m fine. I just wanted to ask you about the report on the McMillan case. Do you have time now?“

There was a pause and then Damen exhaled softly.

"Yes. I always have time for you. I’m glad you called.“ The words were exactly what Laurent needed to hear and he melted a little bit against his chair. Damen really knew how to disperse the uncomfortable tenseness between them. Everytime without fault he found the right words.

The discussion was kept completely professional and Laurent felt himself relax. He called Damen directly with increasing frequency to discuss a case or brief him for his court appointments. It was fun and the detective was incredibly comfortable to work with.

All this lead up to the next big change in their relationship. It wasn‘t very surprising for Laurent that it happened. He had only waited for the moment to come.

After Damen‘s next rut, Laurent finally took him up on his offer of using his enormous bathtub. The alpha had offered over the last two years every time they found themselves in the situation of Laurent being sore but incredibly relaxed and it got harder to turn him down every single time. Mostly, because Laurent actually _wanted_ to stay.

This time, Damen stood before the bed muscled legs clad in joggers hanging low on his hips. The omega had no idea how the man could still get up and move around as if they hadn’t just had very strenuous sex for the last three days. Damen somehow did it.

One hand dragging through the absolute mess his curls were, Damen asked him with a flush on his cheeks if he would like to stay for a bath and he still looked so adorably nervous, that Laurent said "yes“ even before he finished his question. The alpha‘s head snapped up and a smile, as bright as the sun, took over his face.

"Really?“

"Yes.“ Laurent scooted to the edge of the bed and gingerly stood up. Damen was by his side immediately. Hovering in his peripheral vision with his hands reaching out to him but not quite touching.

He couldn’t stop his hand from reaching out. Damen was just so warm and Laurent had no desire to fall face first onto the floor boards just because he was too stubborn to admit that he was still a bit weakkneed.

He placed his fingers on Damen‘s shoulder and immediately the alpha slung one arm around his waist. "You alright?“

"Yes. Don‘t worry.“ He smiled softly and let Damen help him to the bathroom. Once there, Damen placed him on the edge of the tube and let him go.

"I heard you like the lavender bubble bath. It’s there. I bought others too. Use whatever you like. They are for you. The towels are over there. I’ll just... yeah I’m going to- Call if you need something.“

Laurent could only look on in astonished surprise how the alpha turned and rushed out of the bathroom. Was Damen seriously offering him gifts in his own territory? Normal gifts, placed on his desk, weren‘t unusual for the alpha. It was flirting and still tradition in courting, but it could also be interpreted as appreciation and nothing serious. This however, was something else entirely.

It meant that Damen considered Laurent‘s needs and wants while arranging his home. It meant that Laurent was more than just a fuckbuddy for him.

Laurent let the tub fill with hot water while considering this piece of information.

It didn‘t make him angry because he knew Damen didn‘t only act on his desire through the bond. If that had been the case he would have done something like that much sooner and in a much more obvious way. This made him smile. Yes, maybe it wouldn‘t be the worst to keep doing what they did and see what would happen.

He only emerged from the warm water when he knew he had to because it had cooled down to an uncomfortable temperature.

* * *

Laurent had stayed. Damen didn‘t know what to do anymore. He had always hoped for the day that the omega would not run off directly after a shared rut. Now it had finally arrived and he didn’t know what to do anymore. He needed to channel all this energy he had otherwise he would go crazy.

Making breakfast sounded sensible. Laurent would be hungry for sure.

He didn’t realize that he had cooked enough for half an army until Laurent entered the kitchen and drawled, "my, trying to intake all the calories of the last three days in one meal?“

Damen blushed. He hadn‘t eaten nearly enough food to compensate for the strenuous exercise they got during his rut yet but he hadn’t even thought about eating until Laurent had mentioned it. He wanted to feed the man more than eat. ( _Stupid, Damen, absolutely foolish_ , sounded Nik‘s voice in his head.)

Slowly, Laurent took some steps closer, until he stood directly before Damen. He smelled of lavender and Damen’s shampoo and Laurent. It made Damen’s head spin. The omega slowly leaned forwards and dragged his nose up over Damen’s unprotected neck, as if it was the most normal thing for him to do.

Then he turned around and sat down at the kitchen island where Damen had piled the food. He hummed approvingly at the french toast and started to fill his plate. He looked so perfect in Damen’s home, it was almost an unreal experience.

"Won’t you join me, Damen? You really should eat something.“

Like in a trance, Damen sat down too and started eating. All the while, he was unable to look away from Laurent for longer than some seconds.

He had to ask him then. Because if he didn’t he was sure he would implode right there.

"Would you come with me to the photo exhibition taking place on Friday?“ He had wanted to go there since he heard about it, but his thoughts always strayed to Laurent and how much he would like it.

The omega fixed him with a searching gaze then he nodded slowly. "Yes. I‘d like to go with you.“

Damen felt the breath catch in his lungs. He had to rapidly blink to avoid breaking down in tears right there. The relief was so big. Laurent thankfully didn’t mention it but only smiled softly at him.

When neither of them could stall any longer, Damen accompanied Laurent to the door. He didn‘t want him to go. He didn‘t want him to leave _again_. He had to look very pitiful, because Laurent sighed and dragged his wrist, still without a scent patch, up over Damen’s shoulder.

"I‘ll see you soon.“

With that he left. But Damen was still so startled, _elevated_ , by the blatant scent marking that he couldn’t even be properly sad over the fact.

Nik, who invited him for drinks later that evening was immediately suspicious. "What did the blond menace do now?“

"Don‘t call him that,“ Damen replied with a smirk.

"He stayed for breakfast. He sat at my kitchen island and ate my food.“ He sounded like a dork, but Nik only rolled his eyes.

"You are hopeless. Honestly, I don‘t know why I even bother anymore. Two years of pining after him, mate. Don’t you think it’s gone on long enough? It’s pathetic.“

Damen snorted into his beer. Nik would never understand but Laurent was not someone to just get over and done with.

"Just let me be pathetic. I’m happier with that I got with him than I was ever before with someone else. Isn’t that enough?“

Nik sighed and chucked back his drink before filling his glass again. "Yeah, whatever you say. If you need something, anything, I‘m here for you. You know that, don‘t you?“

"I know, Nik. Thank you for being my friend. I really appreciate your grumpy ass.“

He did. Even when Nikandros punched him in the arm for that comment and continued to insult him as a pitiful, pathetic and lovesick fool. The world was well.

Until it suddenly wasn‘t anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here is the second part of this story :)  
> I hope you all like it.  
> Have fun and let me know what you thought.

The next six months were full of firsts. At least applied to Damen‘s and Laurent‘s relationship. It included, but was not restricted to, their first date, their first dinner together, the first time in each other‘s apartments outside of a rut or heat, their first time cooking together. Laurent liked it.

Well, Laurent liked Damen, a lot.

However, they didn‘t touch much outside of their regular heat and rut induced bouts of incredible sex. That was just fine and Laurent relished in the opportunity to date Damen like a normal person would. But in the last month Laurent felt off. He craved the alpha‘s touch. His heat shouldn’t be for another month and a half but he felt like he was in preheat and that made him feel a bit unsettled.

Auguste was concerned and fretted over him as soon as he arrived at Laurent‘s apartment.

"This makes no sense. You are regular like clockwork. It has to be something different.“

Laurent burrowed under his blankets like the frightened child he sometimes remembered being.

He didn‘t disagree with his brother because Auguste would go into full panic-mode, if he told him that it had to be pre-heat.

However, when the night dragged on and his brother refused to leave him alone, it came to the point where he didn‘t have a choice anymore.

He stood up from his temporary nest on the couch and shook Auguste awake by his shoulder.

"What? What is it? I‘m awake.“ Auguste sprang to his feet and looked Laurent up and down, who had a blanked draped over his shoulders and didn’t want to meet his brother’s eyes.

"Could you please call Damen? I need him.“ He said it without any indication of why he would need Damen in his home in the middle of the night, but he hoped his brother would get the reason without further explanation.

"Why?“

Laurent snorted, his brother was sometimes a bit too naive for his own good.

" _Because_ I‘m dripping slick down my thighs and need him right _fucking_ now, Auguste.“

His brother‘s eyes were as big as saucers, but he scrambled for his phone and called Damen while Laurent went into his bedroom.

This wasn‘t normal. Something was seriously wrong with him and Laurent wanted to know what it was. He nested and fretted and waited.

It was agony. He _missed_ Damen like a physical ache and even though his heat hadn’t reached its peak of neediness, it was already bad enough.

When he finally heard his front-door open and shut again, he almost cried in relief. Not a minute later and Damen entered the bedroom. He crooned and advanced on the bed, where Laurent lay. He had to be a sweaty mess, but Damen still said, "You’re so beautiful, Laurent. I want to lick every inch of you.“

Laurent panted already. Cramps making him want to curl into himself as shudder wracked his body. But it would be alright. Damen was there.

He tilted his head back wanting his alpha with him as soon as possible. He heard a choked noise and saw Damen frozen to the spot.

"Alpha, please.“ He shouldn’t be so far away. Didn’t he understand that Laurent was _hurting_?

"Sweetheart, you don’t wear your collar. Where is it?“

Laurent only shook his head. Who cared about that damn collar?

"Please, I know it‘s hard, sweetheart, but you have to think. Where is your collar?“ His alpha sounded a tad commanding and that was enough for Laurent to want to do his bidding. It was an effort but he pulled himself back from the brink to really consider the question.

"Nightstand.“ He gasped when another cramp hit him. Damen practically ran to the nightstand and almost ripped the drawer completely off before he took the collar out and handed it over to Laurent.

"Please, omega, put it on for me, can you do that?“

Laurent could. If that‘s what was needed for the damn alpha to fuck him then he would put on the damn fucking collar. His hands shook when he closed the clasp but he didn’t care anymore because finally his alpha climbed on the bed, on top of him and continued to smoother him in protective pheromones and a strong chest.

He only realized how much self-restraint Damen had to have to get him to put on the collar after he emerged from the heat. Damen was still buried inside him and pressed against his back and Laurent suddenly felt like kissing him.

He thought about the fact that he was Damen’s soul-bond and in heat without a collar when the alpha had arrived in the middle of the night. He thought about the uncontrollable urges he himself felt when Damen’s rut sometimes took over. And he felt so very grateful that this alpha was the one in his bed right now.

As if Damen could read his thoughts, he tightened his arms around him and pulled him flush against his body. Yes, Laurent could admit that this wasn’t the worst way to wake up.

* * *

They had another appointment with Dr. DuPond. After Laurent‘s irregular heat they had sent their journals to the doctor, like every month, with a remark of what had transpired. But unlike before, they were contacted not even 24 hours later by Timothy, Dr. DuPonds assistant and secretary, who asked them for a time for scheduling and appointment.

They had agreed that it made sense. Over the last two and a half years both of their schedules were pretty regular. Although they started to line up, it was only ever a few days difference. Thus they still weren’t in sync. Laurent’s heat had put them closer together than ever before, only two weeks after Damen’s last rut.

Maybe that was the reason? It would make sense, they agreed.

However, Timothy had been vague and his voice had sounded very urgent when he asked them to come in as soon as possible.

Thus Damen sat now in Dr. DuPond's office while Laurent was getting prodded and poked somewhere else. It set his instincts of horribly. He needed all his concentration to stay where he was and not storm into the examination room. He wanted to be near his omega. The thought that he was _alone_ while being subjected to pretty uncomfortable procedures made Damen cringe in his seat.

He tried to distract himself with thinking about their next date. Laurent had taken him to a theater premier the last time and now it was his turn to think about somewhere to go. If he was being honest, their date location choice had escalated into a friendly competition. Both of them wanted to one-up the other. It was very funny and Damen loved a good challenge.

Well, if he was already thinking about honesty, he loved Laurent. Full-stop. He knew that for a long time and every moment they spent together made him more sure about it. Nik was right, he was a pathetic fool, but Laurent’s reluctance to just jump in a relationship because of the soul-bond had showed him something.

He got the opportunity to really get to know the kind of person Laurent was over the last two and a half years. It was safe to say that he loved Laurent for he was and not for the soul-bond. He had once had a discussion with Dr. DuPond about how he was certain he could separate his own feelings from the feelings induced by the soul-bond which wanted them together and happy.

Damen was sure of it. He would love Laurent even without a soul-bond connecting them. Not really surprising for him, there was a whole lot to love about Laurent.

The way he could analyze a situation in seconds, his solution oriented thinking, the honorable character he had and thousands of other things. But most importantly the way he cared.

Because if Damen had learned something about Laurent in all the months spent in close proximity, it was that the man cared. He didn‘t pretend and he didn’t announce it, most people would say he was a cold and emotionless man, but Damen knew better.

Underneath all the decisive, rational and cold armor was the most caring person in the universe.

He felt humbled by this discovery every time he thought about it. Laurent was the person he thought about when he had a difficult case and was so tired he just wanted to break down and say 'fuck it’. Because Laurent wouldn’t give up as long as there was still hope.

Dr. DuPond entered the room looking at Damen with a curious kind of concern that Damen was very used to. "How are you feeling Mr. Vallis?“

"Terrible. How is he?“

"I‘m sure he‘s fine. Dr. Jacobs would have called for me if something was wrong.“

Dr. Jacobs was a partner of the doctor‘s office. An omega and specialized in omega hormone imbalances. Damen knew that because it was not the first time Laurent had been examined by her.

He relaxed a little bit.

"Good. Now, would you care to describe you feelings to me?“

"I’m nervous, worried and I can‘t help myself feeling as if I need to hide him away. Since the heat I just think about him and his safety. I can’t bring myself to focus and I have to check in with him once every day at least.“

Dr. DuPond wrote something down while humming noncommittal.

Damen felt more nervous by the second. He just wanted to _know_. If something was happening to them, to _Laurent_ then he just wanted to know what it was.

* * *

He felt the cool gel on his stomach while Dr. Jacobs made the ultrasound. He always tried to zoom out during these examinations. They felt intrusive and uncomfortable and although he understood their necessity he still didn’t like them.

"Mr. Leblanc?“ The other omega tried to get his attention.

"Yes?“

"I found the cause of your irregular heat. Let‘s have a look, shall we?“

He nodded. Information was always a good thing in his book. The more he got the better he was prepared.

"Good. Do you see the little blob here? That’s an ovarian follicle. They contain the egg cells, which we can‘t see in an ultrasound. Contrary to female omegas, male omegas don’t have ovarian follicles in most cases. That’s also the reason why getting pregnant is so difficult for a male omega. Male omegas seldomly produce an ovarian follicle and your heats are triggered by hormones from your hypothalamus.“

Laurent nodded slowly.

"However, if a male omega produces ovarian follicles, they trigger irregular heats when they need to be inseminated. This is what happened in your last heat.“

"I’m not pregnant, am I?“

The doctor smiled kindly at him. "No you‘re not. However, your chances are good if you want to get pregnant.“

Laurent made a strangled sound but the women just continued. "I can see three more ovarian follicles, waiting to be released over the next three months. They seem in a good development state and you have high chances to conceive if you want to.“

She paused before deciding to continue with her speech.

"It‘s really remarkable to see three follicles at the same time in a male omega. It’s rare enough to see one. I’ve never seen three before.Ovarian follicles in a male omega only manifest if they feel save and loved by their partner. Contrary to the soul-bond they are a sign of genuine love and affection between a couple. Not only compatibility in every sense but emotion and choice.“

Laurent sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.

"You want to tell me that I chose to be fertile?“ He sounded snappish, he knew that but he couldn‘t really accept this without having a minor breakdown.

"No. You can’t decide that consciously, Mr. Leblanc. I‘m telling you that you chose the alpha you want to be the father of your children and he chose you back. This is not influenced by the soul-bond but by your own feelings for Mr. Vallis.“ She smiled kindly while she wiped down his stomach.

Laurent‘s head felt like it might explode every moment now. He didn‘t know what to feel or how to react to the whole thing.

"I would recommend you discuss that with Mr. Vallis. It is not sure you can produce ovarian follicles a second time and I’d like you to really think about the options you have.“ Dr. Jacobs shook his hand. "Have a good day, Mr. Leblanc. Dr. DuPond waits in his office for you.“

Laurent only nodded slowly. Absolutely overwhelmed by the information provided for him he made his way over to the office like in a trance.

He sat down gingerly on his seat beside Damianos and just stared at his hands for a second.

"Laurent, are you alright?“ Damen’s warm hand covered his. Suddenly sending a spark of heat up his arm. He looked up and what he saw in the alpha’s face made him want to weep. Damen looked at him as if he was the most precious thing on earth and it was enough to tip the scale from I’m-overwhelmed over to too-much-to-handle-right-now.

He felt his eyes fill with tears and a sob slip over his lips. He couldn‘t even be angry at his own weakness. Everything was just too much. Damen looked horrified and he was before Laurent in seconds. Kneeling on the floor, he hesitantly reached out to wipe the tears from Laurent’s cheeks.

"Everything will be fine, sweetheart. I‘m here and I won’t ever leave. Just take deep breaths.“ Damen’s voice was the only thing keeping him grounded. Laurent clung to the wrists of the alpha, only now registering that he repeated the sentence, "don’t leave me, please Damianos, don’t leave me,“ over and over again.

He fell forward until he slipped from the chair into Damen‘s lap, where he curled up and pressed his face to his neck. Damen smelled like home and safety and Laurent could finally breath again without fear of choking on every single draw of breath.

He didn‘t know how long they sat there, curled up on the floor between the desk and chairs of the doctor‘s office.

"What happened, sweetheart? Is everything alright?“ Damen sounded concerned and almost panicked.

"I- We- I don‘t know how to explain.“ Laurent finished lamely. It was pathetic and he hated himself a bit in that moment.

Dr. DuPond cleared his throat. Neither of them had even realized that the man had left the office for Laurent’s breakdown and had now returned. "I think I can explain, if you’d like me to, Mr. Leblanc.“

Laurent only nodded. He seriously didn‘t want to explain the whole mess now. He listened to the alpha explaining about his egg cells, their chances at conceiving, Laurent’s low chance of ever getting this fertile again and the cause for his fertility. Damen stared at him with big eyes after Dr. DuPond explained that last point.

* * *

Laurent bit his plump bottom lip. "Just know that I never wanted to pressure you. If you don‘t feel the same then you don‘t have to feel obligated to even consider the possibility.“

Damen snorted. "Laurent, I‘ve been in love with you for at least two years.“

Now it was the omega‘s turn to look as if he had just seen the eight world wonder happening right before him. "What?“

"It‘s true. I’m in love with you.“ Damen didn’t feel ashamed about his feeling. He would tell Laurent over and over again if he didn’t believe him otherwise.

Dr. DuPond again cleared his throat. "You two have a lot to discuss. I suggest we plan another appointment next week where you can tell me if you‘d like to take contraceptive measures or if you‘d like to try for a child on Laurent‘s next heat.“

They both agreed and then made their way outside. Damen couldn‘t stop his hand from reaching out for Laurent’s. He caught himself right before touching the elegant, pale hand dangling at the omega’s side. He was just about to pull back, when Laurent noticed and entwined their fingers.

"Let‘s go to yours, shall we?“ He asked with a subdued smile. His eyes were still red rimmed and his cheeks a bit blotched, but Damen was sure he had never seen someone so beautiful ever before.

When they arrived at Damen’s apartment and sat in his living room, Laurent curled up on his armchair and Damen sitting on the sofa, silence enwrapped them. It was almost as if neither of them wanted to shatter the tentative intimacy and closeness unfolding between them.

"I‘d understand if you didn‘t want a baby now.“ Damen finally broke the silence. Laurent’s gaze snapped up to him.

"I mean, a pregnancy is risky for male omegas, isn‘t it? And even if this wasn‘t it‘s still a big decision to make.“

Laurent nodded. His face was emotionless. Blank in a way that made Damen nervous. So, he just forged on to avoid a silence filled with tension. "But if you wanted a child, then you should know that I want that too. Very much. With you.“

He paused for a moment. Weighting his options before deciding to just lay his cards on the table. "I want everything with you. I thought I’d never get the chance to tell you that or have it with you but after what Dr. DuPond said- Laurent please tell me, can I entertain the slightest of all hopes?“

The omega studied him for a moment and then nodded again. There was a crack in his blank mask. Something like vulnerability flickering over his face. "It’s true, I love you, Damianos. And I do it without the influence of the soul-bond.“

Damen felt all tension leave his body. "I am so glad.“

Laurent stood up, walked over to the couch and took his face between his hands. "I‘m going to kiss you now if you don‘t stop me.“

"I‘d never,“ Damen breathed and then Laurent‘s lips were on his.

It was the best moment of his life.

Laurent kissed him without a pheromone included biological imperative demanding it and Damen knew he would never forget that moment. He would keep it close to his heart until the day he died.

"I want a baby with you,“ Laurent stated firmly as soon as he pulled back. "I want to move in together and start a family and tell you to go get me something to drink when I have a headache.“

Damen laughed wetly. "I‘ll fetch you whatever you want.“

Laurent smirked and climbed in his lap.

"That‘s the hottest thing anyone ever said to me,“ he teased and then buried his hands in Damen‘s hair before crushing their mouths together. From there it wasn‘t a lot of talking anymore.

Some time later they lay naked, sweaty and content on the rug of Damen‘s living room and Laurent drew patterns on Damen‘s back where he la with his face smashed against Laurent‘s throat.

"So, we‘re going to do it?“ Laurent sounded casual but Damen knew him well enough that he wasn’t.

"Yes. I want to, you want to, so why shouldn‘t we?“

"You‘re so easy.“

"Only for you.“ Damen smirked into the soft flesh. He put one hand on Laurent‘s flat stomach and applied very light pressure. "Should we look for a new apartment or house?“

Laurent sighed contently. "I have a house. If you want we could go look at it. I never lived there but I saw it some years ago and bought it.“

"You bought a house on a whim? Why doesn‘t this surprise me.“ Damen murmured and sucked a bruise over Laurent’s unblemished mating gland.

"Maybe because you know that my family has enough money to forget how much we actually have. Maybe because you know how much I love beautiful things. Maybe because you know me. Your choice.“

Damen was high, high on Laurent‘s scent and his words and he wanted him in every way possible. "Let‘s go look at the house today.“

Laurent laughed and rolled him onto his back before climbing on top of him. "Yes, let‘s do that.“

* * *

Laurent hated his pre-heat. It was like having a cold. One felt ill but wasn’t really. Whining about it was only partially acceptable and still he wanted to do nothing else the whole day. It didn’t help that he had had a break of only a month between two heats now. He wanted to complain and get all the pity he deserved for this immeasurable injustice.

However, he wouldn‘t be Laurent Leblanc if he let anyone ever notice that. So, he dragged himself through the day by sheer force of will, glad that it was Friday and he could finish a bit early without raising suspicion.

He went home. Their house was almost fully furnished now and it quickly became the home Laurent had always wanted to have. It was cozy and smelled of Damen and that was all he needed to face the pre-heat head-on. Even when it got worse with every passing minute.

He hadn‘t called Damen yet, because he knew the man would have come running the moment he mentioned the heat. But he most likely should at least warn him. So, Laurent sent him a message.

He didn’t really expect Damen to storm in through the bedroom door not even an hour later.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner? Oh Laurent.” He was already stripping and Laurent couldn’t keep the whine from escaping him. He had _missed_ him and he _wanted_ him so badly.

“Omega, your nest is so beautiful. You did great work.”

Laurent felt himself preen at that.

“Can I join you?”

What a stupid question. He didn’t remember the alpha to be that dense. However, he had other great features. So, Laurent didn’t really care. Most importantly, he would always take care of their pups and they would inherit Laurent's brains anyway.

Damen crawled onto the bed and gathered him in his arms, when he gave him permission. “Come here. You’ll be fine. I’m going to take care of you. Everything will be fine.” He buried his nose in Laurent’s hair and inhaled deeply.

The heat took over faster than he was used to. Maybe because his body knew what would be coming. They agreed to a mating and they were trying for a baby for fucks sake. Every biological imperative in Laurent wanted him to submit right now and so he did.

Damen growled happily when he bared his neck and arched his back.

“You are doing great for me, sweetheart. Let me take care of you.”

The alpha knew his body as well as his own after more than two and a half years of helping each other through heats and ruts.

He knew how Laurent loved to have his inner arm kissed, he knew how to bite at Laurent’s neck just right for him to arch up from the bed. He didn’t even hesitate a second before nipping ad Laurent’s inner thigh and sucking a bruise into the pale flesh.

Laurent buried his hands in Damen’s curls. They were so soft and the perfect length to clench his fingers in. Damen grinned wildly up to him before licking one long stripe up over his flushed cock. The omega couldn’t keep his hips from buckling up. A soft gasp escaping him.

“What do you want more? My tongue in your ass and my fingers around your cock or my mouth on your cock and my fingers in your ass?” Damen kissed the place where his leg met his torso and Laurent wanted to cry a little.

Why did he have to make decisions now? Damn it. Never could the alpha do something himself. He scrambled for his last brain cells and ground out, “I want your tongue up my arse so badly I think I’m going to cry if I can’t have it.”

Damen had the gall to laugh at that, soft and sweet, before he complied and continued to drive him out of his mind. His hand wrapped around Laurent’s length and he felt himself tense from the intense pleasure. The alpha hummed appreciatively.

He licked one long stripe over Laurent’s crack. Then he continued to push his knees up, until Laurent was completely spread open before him. A low growl left his mouth and he dived back in. The next lick was placed directly over Laurent’s hole.

It was sweet torture. Damen was taking his time, lapping up the slick dripping out of the omega and Laurent thought he might lose his mind. It was too much and not enough at the same time. He held his legs open, closed his eyes and tried to stay sane.

Damen slowly pumped his cock in time with the licks over his twitching entrance, rubbing his stubble all over Laurent’s thighs. The skin felt tender but the burn was so _good_. Damen was normally clean shaven, but Laurent had already realized that by the evening the alpha had quite the stubble already.

It was damn sexy and he had almost asked once if Damen would consider growing out his beard.

However, right at this moment, Damen pressed his tongue inside and Laurent couldn’t think coherently anymore.

He moaned softly. Squeezing his eyes shut. Damen fucked him with his tongue and it was heaven until the alpha pulled back

“You taste so delicious it’s driving me out of my mind and you’re so wet. I can’t believe I get to have you.”

“Stop talking.” Laurent really had no patience for that right now.

“Fuck me.” The alpha should hurry up and just take him already, he wanted to be impregnated so badly.

It was as if Damen could hear his thoughts. “I can’t wait to see you swollen with our pup.”

“Damn you, just give me a pup already. I want it.”

Damen crooned and pushed two fingers inside of him without warning. Laurent bit his lips to muffle the scream.

His back arched from the bed. It was so damn good.

“So impatient. You can’t imagine how long I waited for that moment, Laurent. I will not rush now. Not even if you demand it.”

The omega wanted to tell him where he could shove his words, but then Damianos continued to crook his fingers just right and he wasn’t capable of forming words anymore.

* * *

He knew he was testing Laurent’s limits with the slow pace he took. The omega was in heat and very fertile and they had decided to mate and try for a baby, all of this was enough to tip even the most controlled omega over the edge.

However, Laurent looked so beautiful. Flushed, squirming and close to tears. He was finally letting down his guard completely, arching his long neck in invitation for Damen’s bite and it did something to him.

His heart swelled in his chest and he was sure he would explode every moment now with all the love he held for the man underneath him.

“By the gods, you look simply beautiful.” He sounded choked up, almost out of his mind.

He needed all his concentration to pump the four fingers inside Laurent slowly and carefully.

“Please, alpha, please give me your knot, give me my mating mark.” Laurent begged so beautifully. “Give me a _baby_.” It was less begging and more demanding now, but Damen thought it was only hotter for all the insistence Laurent put behind it.

Damen slowly pulled his fingers out of the omega and wrapped his hand around his cock. He was painfully hard. The head of his prick almost purple. He had never been that hard in his life, he was sure, not even during ruts.

Before he could do more than slick himself up, he was wrestled onto his back and Laurent climbed into his lap.

“If you won’t give me what I ask for, I’m going to take it. As easy as that, alpha.” His voice was hoarse and when he sunk down onto Damen’s cock in one agonizing slide, Damen was convinced that he would never see something more lovely.

“I would have- given you- what you asked,” he gasped, “but I let you take what you want too. Just use me for your pleasure, sweetheart. I’m at your disposal.”

Laurent’s eyes were almost completely black, the blue of his irises swallowed by his pupils, and a feral smirk graced his lips. He looked powerful, in control and wild at the same time. “Oh, believe me, I intend to, darling.”

Damen felt as if all the air had been punched out of his lungs. Somehow his brain stopped working completely at the endearment. He could only lie there and watch Laurent take his pleasure. The muscles in his thighs tensed and relaxed as he lifted himself up and fell back down again, he had his head thrown back, exposing his pale neck and the unmarked skin there.

Tomorrow, Damen’s mark would be placed high over his mating gland and then the world would know that they belonged to each other. Because, while omega’s didn’t feel the urge to bite, they could still place a mating bite on an alpha and Damen had every intention of letting Laurent return the mark.

Maybe on round two.

The omega lifted himself off of Damen’s cock again, achingly slow until only the head was inside his wet, pulsing heat. Damen felt slick run down over his balls. He groaned low and deep in his chest and that was the moment Laurent started to lower himself again and it was so good, Damen felt his eyes roll into the back of his head.

“You are enormous, Damianos, did I ever tell you that? The first time I was almost intimidated by your cock.” Laurent was again fully seated, but started lifting off almost immediately. His gaze caught Damen’s. “I thought it would be painful, especially because it was during your rut.”

Damen couldn’t look away from those piercing eyes.

“But then you started preparing me until I almost cried. You always enjoyed teasing me to the point I nearly begged. And when you finally took me, there was only sweet relief.”

“Yeah?” The alpha knew he sounded breathless. But the pressure around his cock was just so perfect and the view even better. Plus, hearing Laurent talk while fucking himself on Damen’s cock, well, he never thought he had an aural kink before, but Laurent just opened up new possibilities.

“Don’t act as if you didn’t know it.” Laurent wiped the sweat from his forehead with a smirk. “I know you did it on purpose.”

He leaned forward and bit into Damen’s jaw, just lightly but it was enough for him to bare his neck completely to his lover.

“I think you ruined me for every other man out there. Good thing that that won’t be a concern of mine anymore after tonight.” The words made something in Damen sing. He gripped Laurent’s hips tightly. Too tight, if he was honest, there would be bruises the next day, but Laurent arched against him and groaned directly into his ear.

“Now fuck me, alpha and give me your knot. Except if you don’t feel up to the challenge?”

* * *

He had known it wouldn’t take much for Damen to topple over the edge, but he hadn’t really foreseen the alpha’s reaction to his words.

Damen flipped them, pulled out and put Laurent on his knees before sliding back inside.

It was rough and just so perfect.

“Believe me when I tell you that I’m more than _up_ for the challenge.” Damen growled when he drew his hips back and slammed back inside in one powerful thrust. “That what you wanted, sweetheart?”

“Yes. That’s _exactly_ what I wanted, darling.” He moaned 'darling' more than he spoke it, because by then Damen had found his prostate and hit it with every single of his thrusts. “Come on, give it to me. Give me your knot.”

Damen blanketed his back and finally, finally Laurent felt the knot at the base of Damen’s cock grow. His forearms gave up on the task of holding his weight and he fell face first into the nest.

He felt the alpha’s big hands spreading his cheeks further and a moan left his mouth.

“I will fuck you until there is no chance that you won’t be pregnant by the end of it, sweetheart. You will look so beautiful swollen with our pup, our _baby_.”

This somehow short-circuited Laurent’s brain, he felt himself slip completely into omega space.

“Please, alpha, I want a baby. I want it so badly.”

“You will have it.” Damen pressed inside one last time and his knot expanded incredibly wider and Laurent came with a shout when he felt it press against his prostate.

He floated somewhere around the ceiling and when he felt his alpha’s teeth against his mating gland, he bared his neck even further.

Damen bit down and the pleasure was ecstatic. Laurent knew he would never feel something similar again in his life. He was holding still in the jaw of the alpha but his whole body shuddered. Completely overwhelmed by the rush of endorphins through his system.

He didn’t know how long it took for him to come back to reality, but when he was aware of his surroundings again, he lay on his side and felt Damen slowly lick over the bite mark.

It sent little sparks of pleasure through his whole body.

The knot inside him pulsed and Laurent knew, he couldn’t move a muscle even if his life depended on it.

“That was world-changing.”

Damen chuckled. The vibrations felt wonderful against Laurent’s back.

“That’s certainly true. I want you to return the mating bite in the next round.”

Laurent felt tenderness wash over him. They hadn’t discussed the returning of the mating bite, it didn’t have to be done, but it would make their bond even stronger. He should have known that Damen would want him to return it.

“I belong to you just as much as you belong to me. I want the world to see it.” The alpha kissed over his mating mark again. “It’s closing up nicely.”

Laurent hummed and closed his eyes. “That’s good then. I need a nap. We will talk later again.”

Later turned out much later because Laurent’s heat got even worse and he wasn’t really able to lead a serious conversation.

When, after three days, the heat broke, they were so tired, they could just go take a shower together, change the sheets on the nesting bed, which they had moved, obviously because Laurent wouldn’t sleep anywhere else, and fall back into the soft nest Laurent constructed.

They slept for almost twelve hours and then food was more important than talking anyway. Laurent went to get something from the local bakery while Damen prepared omelettes in the kitchen.

“What do we do if it didn’t work?” Laurent asked as soon as he entered their kitchen again. He had seen a pregnant omega and then a mother with her two children at the bakery and he had wanted that too, so badly, his heart felt like it might burst out of his chest.

“Then it will work next time. We still have two tries if it didn’t work now. But somehow I’m pretty sure it worked.” Damen answered calmly and smiled at him.

Laurent sighed. “You’re right. I think I’m going a bit crazy from post-heat hormones. Dr. Jacobs warned me this could happen. Fertile heats work a bit different than infertile ones, she said.”

“You’re holding up great, sweetheart. Don’t worry about it. We will figure something out.”

It testified to the degree of trust between them that Laurent didn’t even try to argue. He just watched Damen flip an omelette, absolutely taken by the display of competence while he put down his purchases.

He started eating a chocolate croissant when Damen turned to him again and took some steps closer.

“I didn’t realize before, but your scent changed. You smell- sweeter somehow.” He sniffed and then pulled back. “I think that’s a good sign. But we will know definitively in a month.”

Laurent knew that, if his heat didn’t start in a months time, then he could be pretty sure that he was pregnant. He felt a bit giddy, although he knew that it was only hormones at this point.

* * *

Damen couldn’t keep the grin from taking over his whole face. It was one month and a half after Laurent’s last heat. His scent only increased in sweetness and although nobody else knew, except Auguste, of course, Damen could actually _smell_ the changes in his mate’s body.

The omega was cautiously optimistic, but also tried to keep Damen from hoping too much, because it wasn’t sure he would be able to carry the child to full-term. Apparently male pregnancies were really much more risky than female’s.

Damen had known that it was harder for male omega’s to get pregnant and he also knew that it was risky, however, he never really thought about it before. And now it had worked on their first try, so he didn’t really want to think about all the things that could happen.

Naturally, someone had to destroy the peace of his mind completely. He sat with Nik at their weekly drinks and the other alpha took one look at him and said, “So, I take, it worked definitively, didn’t it?”

Damen sighed. “I shouldn’t tell you, Laurent wants to wait for another one and a half months, before we tell anyone, but yes, it did.”

Nik nodded with a small smile. “I’m happy for you, mate. But why are you here and not at home with your omega? This phase is very delicate as you should know even better than me.”

Immediately, Damen sat up straighter. “What are you talking about?”

Nikandros looked surprised. “Well, the risks, Damianos. Seriously. Don’t you know?”

“What risks? Nik, spit it out.”

The alpha seemed to realize that he had made a mistake. He raised his hands in a calming gesture. “Relax. Nothing has actually happened. You would know. But somebody should have told you about that.”

Damen glared at him. “Talk.”

“Fine, fine. You know that male omega pregnancies are riskier than a female omega’s. The reason for that is one in biology, they just have too narrow hips which can complicate a natural birth and that’s also the reason why most children are delivered via C-section even if the birth channel is fully developed. Additionally, the first three months are risky in every pregnancy but for male omegas that’s the time they can lose the baby with a probability of over 30 percent.” He paused.

Damen felt how his expression slipped. He didn’t know what he looked like but he felt nauseous.

“Why?” He croaked out. Nik looked like he wanted to hug him.

“Because they react more sensitive to hormonal imbalances and emotional strain. If their alpha leaves or dies in this time, they lose the child in over 90% of all cases. The same applies to their closest family if they have a close relationship.”

Damen stood up. “I have to go home. Gods, Nik, how didn’t I know this?”

“Well, your family consists of alpha’s only. I suspect they didn’t bother to tell you and you were never very interested in the workings of the body, were you? I mean it’s no coincidence that Laurent was the one to realize you two were somehow connected through your secondary genders.”

Nik stood too. “I’ll drive you home. Everything will be alright, Damen. Laurent is strong and too stubborn to let anything happen to him or the pup. Take deep breaths.”

Damen realized that he was hyperventilating. He had to support himself against the wall and breath with Nik for a while to get back to a normal breathing rate.

“Don’t panic now, Damen. Laurent needs you. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Damen shook his head. “No it’s better that I know. Now I understand Laurent’s concerns much better. He wouldn’t have told me himself. Whatever you think you did, let me assure you that I should have known even without your input. I need to research for a bit. I need to be prepared.”

“Do that, but don’t panic again. It won’t help either of you. Laurent needs you calm and collected now. Not an emotional mess and certainly not stressed out of your own mind. You understand?”

“Yes.” Damen felt the cold sweat on his back. It made him shiver. He hadn’t known and damn, he had almost risked the safety of their pup.

Nik drove him home in guilty silence and followed him inside. Laurent looked up, surprised by their fast return. He was curled up on his armchair, wearing soft trousers and one of Damen’s hoodies.

“Darling, what are you doing here? Nikandros, a pleasure,” he stood up and walked around the couch. He looked so soft in the warm light of their lamp, Damen felt his heart squeeze in his chest.

He strode forward and enveloped the omega in a tight hug. “Are you alright? Is the baby alright?”

Laurent stiffened for a second, before relaxing. “Nikandros, if you tell anyone I _will_ castrate you.”

“I’d never.”

Damen didn’t even care about his best friend standing right there. He needed to know Laurent was alright.

He buried his whole face in the warm neck of the omega and gulped down lungfuls of his scent. What he smelled calmed him down. Laurent smelled just as pregnant and content as he did two hours ago.

“What did you tell him?” He felt Laurent’s fingers massage his scalp and that made him relax even more. His omega was safe, their pup was growing inside him and nothing bad had happened with him being away.

* * *

Nikandros looked definitively uncomfortable. He shifted from one foot to the other and didn’t dare meet his gaze. Laurent rose one eyebrow over his mate’s shoulder. While he still ran his fingers through Damen’s curls. The alpha melted a bit against him, clearly losing some of the tension in his shoulders.

“I might have mentioned how risky your pregnancy is?” Nik flinched, just as Damen tensed up again in Laurent’s arms. The blond omega wasn’t really averse to killing the other alpha on the spot for that.

“Why? Did you really think this would be a good idea in the widest definition of the term?” He thought that Nik couldn’t look any more ashamed than he did, but he absolutely faltered when he met Laurent’s eyes briefly.

“I thought he knew. I just asked him why he wasn’t home if you were pregnant and _alone_.”

Laurent wanted to strangle him for a second, but then Damen pulled back and framed his face between his hands. “Is it true? Could something happen to you or the baby?”

The omega sighed. “Nikandros, get out of here before I’m not distracted by my aggravate mate anymore and actually have the time to kill you.”

He didn’t wait for the alpha to scramble out of their house. “Damen, every pregnancy has a certain risk of miscarriage. Just because nobody wants to talk about it, doesn’t mean it is non-existent. My risk is higher than average, but neither of us can change that.”

Damen had actual tears in his eyes and Laurent was so close to going after Nik, that he actually had to clench is hands into fists.

“I will take good care of myself and you will take good care of yourself and then everything will be fine.”

Damen pressed his lips against Laurent’s forehead. “I love you. I love you so much, Laurent. Please. Just- nothing can happen to you. Whatever happens to me, you _need_ to take care of yourself. You hear me?”

Laurent could hear the genuine distress in Damen’s words and he nodded. “Yes.”

“Promise me. You will look after yourself. Promise it.” The alpha sounded so urgent, it almost frightened Laurent a bit.

“I promise. Damen, please, sit down. I’m getting worried.” He started to maneuver them towards the couch and pulled Damen down beside him. It was almost as if the alpha was in shock.

“I should have cared more. I’m the worst. I didn’t even suspect. I knew it was more risky but I didn’t even look up why. Gods, Laurent, how can you stand to be around me?”

That was enough. Laurent would kill Nik when he saw him the next time. He didn’t care if he was Damen’s best friend. Being that careless with his words deserved retribution.

“Stop it, right now, Damianos,” he snapped. “I thought it was rather refreshing. Auguste is absolutely freaking out about this pregnancy. He wanted me to take a vacation from work. As if that would help. And I just thought it was a nice change that you took the thing a bit more relaxed.”

Damen sighed. “Still, I should have known about the risks.”

“And? Would that have changed something? There is nothing you can do. I am eating healthy, I don’t smoke, I take prenatal vitamins, I am cared for by the best doctors in the whole city, I have no high risk job, I’m happily mated and feel very loved. I have a supporting brother and great mate. I got pregnant at our first try and I’m happy. I’m grateful. I think I can’t have better prerequisites than I already have. It doesn’t help me if you fret over every move I make.”

Laurent continued to massage Damen’s scalp. That always seemed to calm him down, even if he was on the verge of a panic attack.

“You’re right. Sorry. Obviously, you’re right. I was just- this hit me out of nowhere.” Damen had his head buried in his hands and Laurent drew him closer to tip him over.

Damen buried his face in his stomach and breathed deeply.

“That’s it, darling. Just take deep breaths. I’m fine and so is the baby. Everything is alright.”Laurent caressed him until his breaths were deep and regular. Then he picked up his book with one hand and continued reading while he played with Damen’s curls.

Damen started talking just when Laurent was sure he was drifting off to sleep. "You be strong, baby. We want you so much. So keep on fighting. Both of us want to hold you so badly. You make us very happy and we love you very much.“

He nuzzled his nose against Laurent‘s abdomen and the omega felt the emotions bubble up inside him.

His alpha was talking to their unborn baby. Telling them how much they were loved and wanted and thid _did_ something to him. He looked down and saw the alpha press his whole face against his belly. He refrained from telling him that the baby couldn‘t hear him yet. It wouldn‘t be until week 18 that their child heard first sounds.

But seeing the man so happy, he just couldn‘t do it and be realistic and educational. Something in his chest swelled and he had to lean forward and kiss Damen softly on the cheek. "We will be fine.“

He had really hoped Damen wouldn’t have to know about the many complications about a male omega pregnancy but it seemed unavoidable now. Maybe it would be the best to get Dr. Jacobs recommend him some educational books, before Damen drifted into the depths of the internet, where a lot of sources weren’t really trustworthy.

* * *

The first trimester was over and Damen still felt so incredibly relieved, he almost wept whenever he saw Laurent. The omega only rolled his eyes fondly and let him cuddle up to his stomach. He started to show. A little baby bump was now detectable and whenever Damen saw this little bump his alpha instincts were absolutely uncontrollable.

He just hopen he could be a bit better in control when Laurent’s belly would grow.

They went to their second ultrasound in week 13 and Damen actually cried when he heard their baby’s heartbeat.

"It‘s strong. Everything looks good and healthy. Your uterus is fully developed and very strong.“ Dr. Jacobs informed Laurent while Damen stared at the picture like hypnotised. This was his and Laurent’s baby in there. The fast fluttering heartbeat was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

Dr. Jacobs printed them a photo and sent them home. Laurent laughed at Damen‘s utter fascination with the print. However, he didn’t care if his mate made fun of him.

"Have you seen their nose? That‘s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.“ They lay at home in the big nesting bed and Damen traced the nose of their child with a fingertip. Laurent chuckled. "You are ridiculous.“

"Maybe but you love me anyway.“ Damen smiled up at him with a dopey grin and Laurent sighed.

"Yes that‘s true. I love you, Damen.“

The words still set off something in his chest, as if he couldn‘t really believe it. He rolled Laurent onto his back and kissed him hard.

"I love you too and I‘m so greatful I get to have this. You and our home and the baby. It‘s everything I ever wanted.“ He pressed kisses over Laurent‘s cheekbones, his jaw, his neck and finally the mating bite.

"Just remember these words when I get an emotional mess over pregnancy hormones or after the baby‘s born and neither of us will have slept in days.“ Laurent murmured but bared his neck even more.

Damen grinned and started to unbutton the omega‘s shirt. He kissed every inch of that pale, soft skin until he reached Laurent‘s belly.

"Your papa is very sweet you know that? He thinks I won‘t enjoy every second of his grumpyness or you keeping us awake. But I will prove him wrong. Because he is. Your papa is very very wrong, but don‘t tell him that. He doesn‘t like to be wrong.“

Laurent laughed and hit him upside the head. "Just you wait. For that the baby will likely try to test your patience and cry the first half year straight. I will hold this against you until our dying breath.“

Damen smiled and kissed the baby bump lovingly. He caressed the skin, dragged his wrist over the omega, scentmarking him very thoroughly.

Laurent started to squirm under him.

"Stop it Damianos. Whatever you think, there is a man attached to this womb and said man hasn’t been touched in almost over two weeks with anything resembling sexual satisfaction.“ Laurent tried to push him away, but Damen grinned. He wouldn‘t be discouraged so fast.

"Oh, and why is that?“ His finger‘s played with the button of Laurent‘s trousers while he looked up to those blue eyes with a wicked grin.

"Because he has an overcaucious, unexucated idiot as an alpha.“ Laurent gasped out. It was music to Damen’s ear.

"Are you sure that’s it, sweetheart?“ He teased but popped the button open.

"Absolutely. I can‘t imagine another reason.“ Laurent sounded haughty and breathy at the same time. It was fascinating.

"You sure it didn’t have anything to do with the fact that you, my dear omega, threw up every single time I touched you bellow your waist?“

Laurent rolled his eyes. "Well, I said it‘s nothing serious and you should just ignore me.“

Now, it was Damen‘s turn to roll his eyes, but he really thought he deserved that slip of self-control. Because Laurent was utterly ridiculous. "Well, pity for you that I actually don’t ignore my mate while he’s vomiting his brains out.“

Laurent snorted and pushed his hips up against Damen‘s hands. "Fuck you, Damianos. Seriously, do you have the slightest idea how frustrating that was?“

"I can only imagine,“ he replied sarcastically, it wasn‘t as if he was, there wasn‘t it, "and yes, with pleasure.“

Then he finally dragged the trousers down Laurent‘s legs together with his underwear. Cautiously he looked up at the omega‘s face. "You still good?“

"Peachy. Now _do_ something!“

"Bossy omega. You hear me pea? Your papa is very bossy.“ He told the bump and Laurent chortled.

"Damn you, Damen. Stop talking to the baby while I lie before you naked and very hard and very wet. I will feel neglected.“ He was still snorting when Damen grinned and sucked his hard cock into his mouth without further ado.

* * *

Laurent tried to ignore the odd cravings and the fact that he didn‘t fit in his clothes anymore. He also tried to ignore the stares and Auguste’s overprotective behavior. But this, right here, was too much for him.

He stared at his legs as if they had betrayed him themselves. Then his gaze traveled higher to his chest and he felt like he wanted to cry. He felt like that an awful lot lately.

His thighs were clearly plumper than before, recognizable even for himself although he saw them every day.His chest had been tender the last weeks but he had gained weight here too. He didn‘t have breasts per se but he also didn’t have his firm pecs anymore.

It was normal, Dr, Jacobs had assured him. Male omegas gained more weight to make up for their normal lack of fat tissue. Still he felt as if his body betrayed him. He stared at the reflection in the mirror of the master bathroom until he felt one big, warm hand land on his belly.

"Are you alright, Laurent?“ Damen hooked his chin over Laurent’s shoulder and met his gaze in the mirror.

"I look- “ Laurent couldn‘t finish the sentence. He also couldn’t meet Damen’s eyes anymore.

"You look sexy. Seriously, sweetheart. I’m walking around half-hard whenever I see you. I’m glad, for the first time in the last three years that we are working in different buildings. I don’t think I could stand to see you the whole day and not fuck you once.“

Laurent couldn’t help himself. He laughed. "You fuck me as soon as we walk through the doorway, Damen.“

"Yes, and I can only hold back for so long because I don’t see you more often than I do.“ The alpha caressed his swollen stomach and his chest. "You’re perfect and I want to devour you whole.“

Laurent sighed. "You are biologically programmed to find me attractive, Damianos.“

"And you are societal programmed to think you look less attractive for filling out in order to carry our baby to term. Which is absolute bullshit.“ His mate pressed closer and Laurent could feel his hard cock against his backside. He flushed, he knew he did because he could see it.

Damen kissed his ear. "You are the most breathtaking, heart-stopping, painfully gorgeous sight I have ever behold.“

Laurent tipped his head back until he met Damen‘s shoulder. A low gasp escaping him.

"People are staring. All the time. Even more than normal. It makes me insecure,“ he confessed.

"Who is staring?“ Damen growled while his hands stroked Laurent’s belly.

Six months pregnant and his stomach had grown, he had tiny stretch marks, which he ignored as best as he could.

"Everybody. Omegas are the most tolerable because they only smile at me if they look at me. However the alphas- I don’t know. They are creeping me out.“

Damen snarled. "They are envious. Of me. Because Laurent, you look- sweetheart, I can‘t tell you how incredibly beautiful you look right now.“

Laurent buried his nose in Damen‘s neck. "Take me to bed, alpha.“

Two days later, Laurent sat at his desk, eating cucumber with peanut butter when suddenly Orlant stood beside his chair. The alpha was clearly eager to tell him something and Laurent sighed and looked up.

"What is it, Orlant?“ He was tired and his back ached and he wanted to bury his nose in Damen’s neck and never get up from their bed again.

"I- I just wanted...“ The man stuttered, eyes transfixed on Laurent’s thighs and belly. "I wanted to ask- if you need help? With anything? I give great back rubs.“

Laurent couldn‘t help himself. His jaw hit the floor. This was entirely unexpected and very inappropriate and he couldn‘t even fathom how Orlant of all people came up with this idea.

"Orlant, buddy, I know your alpha instincts are going bonkers around Laurent, but you have to pull yourself together.“ Lazar intervened. Cautiously looking at Laurent, as if he was afraid the omega would rip someone’s head off.

However, Laurent had gotten in introduction talk to alpha behavior around an pregnant omega by Auguste after his talk with Damen in the bathroom and suddenly everything made sense.

The stares, the whispering and the confusing signals. They all wanted to provide for him, attract the fertile partner he was.

"Orlant, thank you for your concern, but I‘m fine. Damianos,“ he threw in the name for good measure, "takes good care of me. But I appreciate your concern.“ He nodded and then stood to eat in Auguste’s private office.

His brother laughed his ass of when he told him the story and Laurent could only roll his eyes at him fondly.

When Auguste next looked at him with all the seriousness he could muster, Laurent was immediately worried.

"What is it?“

"You remember that Damen will have to stay longer today, and I will come over until he gets back.“

Laurent sighed. "Yes. I remember. Calm down, Auguste. One could think he‘s moving to the other end of the country not only doing an observation.“

* * *

Damen didn‘t like it. In fact he hated it. He didn’t want to sit in this damn car with Nikandros and wait for nothing in particular. It was a waste of his time and he could be home with his pregnant mate instead.

"Stop bouncing your knee or I will change the station.“ Nik warned, his hand already hovering precariously close to the button of their radio.

"Sorry. I just want to go home.“ Damen knew he was whining but he couldn’t help it. This was not something he wanted to do now.

"Auguste is at home with Laurent. He‘s fine. Don‘t worry. If something happens, Auguste would call you immediately.“

Damen nodded tersely. Nik was right, still, he didn’t like it.

"So, tell me about this third trimester ultrasound.“

Damen was glad for the distraction. "Well, as Laurent‘s pregnancy is a high risk one, as a male omega and all, Dr. Jacobs wants to do third trimester ultrasounds. I didn‘t really understand half of the things she said but it‘s just to reassure us all that everything‘s okay.“

Nik nodded. "Good for you, man. Imm sure everything will be fine.“

"You have to say that,“ Damen replied with a grin, "because if you don‘t Laurent might really kill you this time.“

Nikandros snorted. "You‘re right. Your mate would probably let me suffer before he killed me.“

When they finally got back to the station, Damen just wanted to go home, cuddle up to his mate and sleep. But they had taken in a suspect for questioning and now they needed to actually question him.

He opened his front door at 4AM and with the feeling of having let someone down. The lights were still on and when he walked into the living room, he could see Auguste and Laurent watching a movie.

“Why are you still up?”

Both blond heads shot up and Auguste sighed in relief. “Finally. This one couldn’t sleep without knowing you were alright and as the responsible brother I am, I stayed up with him.”

Laurent actually blushed. “Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just couldn’t-“ he broke off mortified and with very red cheeks.

Damen inhaled deeply. The scent of mate heavy in his nose. He almost tackled Laurent to the couch right then.

Auguste seemed to know what he was thinking because he got up very fast. “I’m going them. Take care of yourselves. Good night.”

“Wait, you don’t have to drive home now. You’re tired. You can sleep in one of the guest bedrooms.” Laurent stood up too, much slower than his brother, but with concern etched on his face.

“No. Don’t worry. I’m taking an Uber. But I _really_ don’t want to stay here. Not if I interpret this tension here right, and believe me, I do. It’s enough that I had to think about the fact that you two have sex at all all the time over the last what? Three years? I don’t have to witness it in any way. So, I’m out of here.” Auguste nodded and then practically ran to the front door.

Laurent only shook his head. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Damen was pretty sure that Auguste knew _exactly_ what he was talking about. His mate looked almost ethereal in the dim light. However, he sat down on the couch and lifted an arm in a clear invitation.

Laurent crawled into his lap. A content hum slipping over his lips when he pressed his whole face against Damen’s neck. The alpha continued to caress his back in slow circles.

“You have no idea how lucky I feel, sweetheart. I am the happiest man in this world, you know that, Laurent?”

He got no answer and when he turned Laurent’s face very carefully, he had his eyes closed and expression smoothed out by sleep. Damen laughed softly and placed one hand on Laurent’s bump. “You know, pea, your papa is the most adorable being on this world. Although I suspect you might be hard competition once you’re born.”

He felt a kick right under his hand. “Yes, I know, you think so too, don’t you? I love you very much.”

Another kick and he started rubbing the place, otherwise Laurent might wake up. “Now, let your papa sleep. He’s exhausted because he waited up for me the whole night. I think I should curb down on my hours.”

The baby kicked again but this time another place and Damen gathered Laurent closer to his chest, before drifting off too. The last thing he remembered was a soft exhale against his throat.

* * *

It was hard to move. Even harder was it to climb stairs. Laurent exhaled softly while he supported his lower back with his hands. “Damn it. I must weight a ton. Seriously, pup, how come I got so heavy? You only weight around five and a half pounds.”

His breathing calmed down and he made to climb the second fly of stairs. Since the start of his pregnancy he avoided elevators like the plague. First it was because of all the smells and no place to vomit should the need arise. Then came the moment where all touch from strangers made him break out in goosebumps and cold sweat. And finally his stomach that grew to be absolutely enormous.

While the first reason abated with the continuation of his pregnancy, the second and third reasons were still very much there. This didn’t mean that the whole staircase thing got any easier with his pregnancy. He just needed to hand in the last back of his court case files for the week and then he could finally go home for the weekend.

He was now 35 weeks pregnant and he felt like an elephant. He cursed the person who decided that his desk had to be located on the second floor. Fuck damn it. He was allowed to curse. At least inside his head. This killed him.

When he finally made his way to his desk, he needed to sit down for a whole ten minutes before even considering walking to Auguste’s office and handing in his files.

His brother took one look at him and raised a disapproving eyebrow. “You should just take your leave. I don’t understand why you insist on working.”

“Because I’m pregnant and not sick. The aches are tolerable.” Laurent knew it was stupid. He hurt like all the time, everywhere. His body clearly on its limits. But he needed to finish what he was doing and he wouldn’t back down.

“I’m worried, Laurent. You look exhausted.”

“That’s just because I can’t sleep anymore. The baby is either kicking or lying on my organs. A leave won’t change anything about that.” He shrugged and handed in the filed. “I won’t argue with you about this anymore. Just let me do my job.”

Auguste sighed. Clearly unhappy, but he conceded the point.

While Laurent made his way back to the staircase to finally go home, he thought that it was very lucky that summer was over now. At least he wasn’t sweating all the time anymore.

He just looked forward to getting home, sitting on the couch and getting Damen to massage his ankles.

This thought should have clued him on the fact that this wouldn’t be happening. When he got home, Damen grinned at him brightly and maneuvered him to sit down. “Sweetheart, I had a day off and thought I’d go buy this blanket you liked so much for the baby, you remember?”

Obviously, Laurent remembered and dread filled him.

“What did you buy?”

“Wait here and I’ll show you.”

Damen bustled out of their living room and Laurent groaned softly. This wasn’t a good sign. His mate had been absolutely crazy for the last two months. It was adorable but also unreasonable. They didn’t need all the things Damen insisted would be useful. And even if they did, they could still go buy them when the baby was born.

As predicted his mate came back with four bags full of… things. Laurent sighed, “Darling, did you go on a shopping spree?”

“Maybe a little bit? But I assure you, I bought things that are really useful. I got help from the nicest shop assistant ever.”

Laurent didn’t doubt it. Well, if you were surrounded by cute baby clothes the whole day you could only float on a happy cloud.

“Well then, show me.” He reclined and Damen got out the first thing. It was a one piece winter romper in a soft mint green.

“That’s really cute. And useful.” He was genuinely surprised. Damen normally liked the tiny little socks with all the lace and nothing practical.

“I know, right?” His mate looked like an excited puppy. He showed him different gauze cloths for spitting and breastfeeding, swaddling cloths and the softest blankets imaginable.

At the end, Laurent was close to tears. The hormones, he convinced himself.

“This is really cute, Damen. You chose well.”

The alpha preened and bowed down to kiss his head. “I also bought you something.”

“Oh stop it, you bought half of the shop already.” Laurent wiped his eyes.

“It’s not from the baby shop.”

He produced a beautiful ornate box and presented it to Laurent.

In it there were different teas and bath salts and bubble baths and skin oil and even a book. Laurent stared and stared and didn’t even care that his face had to be blotchy at that point.

“Thank you, Damen. So much.”

“I love you.”

* * *

He got the call in the middle of the day. Damen sat at his desk, typing in a report when his cellphone rang.

“Yes?”

“Damen, it’s me, Auguste. Laurent’s water broke. We’re in the hospital.”

“What?” Damen yelled and was already out of the building. He ran to his car, connected his phone to the free speaker while Auguste still explained everything to him.

“Calm down, the doctors say everything looks very good and Laurent has great chances to give birth naturally. Without a C-Section.”

“What?!” Damen yelled even louder. “That’s too risky. Damn, Auguste.”

“Well, Laurent is pretty insistent. And I won’t argue with an omega in labor. If you want to do that, then you’re free to do it, but I’d recommend against it. Just hurry up. He’ll need you. And try to stay calm for gods sake.”

Damen gritted his teeth. Not caring about the way he drove above the speed limit. He needed to get to his omega. Immediately.

Once in the hospital, he ran directly to the front desk where they directed him to his mate.

Only when he saw Laurent’s face, stubborn and beautiful before him, could he finally breath again. Auguste sat beside his brother and held his hand. He stood up as soon as he saw Damen.

“Finally. See Lauri, everything’s alright. Nothing happened to this idiot on his way here.”

“That’s good because it should be my privilege to kill him.” Laurent gritted out through clenched teeth. Damen was so glad to hear his voice, he just sagged into the chair and brushed one sweaty strand of hair from Laurent’s face.

“I love you, sweetheart.”

Laurent smiled, a bit pained but still honest. “I love you too. I’m already sorry for what I might say in the coming hours.”

“It’s alright, don’t worry about that. I can take it.”

What Damen couldn’t take would be if something happened to Laurent or the baby. So, hearing Laurent curse and insult everyone, including him, wasn’t half bad. That meant he was still alive and energetic enough to speak.

When after hours on end the cry of a baby finally filled the room, Laurent was completely exhausted. They asked Damen if he wanted to bath his daughter, which he obviously wanted. The tiny baby had a strong lung and Damen carefully held her and clothed her before going over to Laurent.

The omega placed one soft kiss onto her head before closing his eyes. “I love you so much, pea. But I’m so tired. Can I sleep now?”

“Yes, Mr. Leblanc, you can sleep,” the doctor confirmed softly.

“Thank you. Please take care of our child, Damen.”

With that he lost consciousness.

“Don’t worry, that’s pretty normal. He will wake up in no time. For male omegas a birth is even more taxing than for females.” The nurse calmed Damen. “Would you like to go and introduce her to her family? Then, we’d like to examine your daughter. You can put her in her bed and wait with your mate. We will come and get you after we’re done. Did you two already chose a name?”

Damen nodded. “But I’d like to wait until he’s awake if you don’t mind.”

“Sure.” She smiled warmly at him and patted his arm.

Damen went to look for Auguste and the rest of their family, his daughter still in his arms.

Auguste and Theomedes both teared up a bit, while Hennike laughed softly at Damen’s stunned face and Kastor clapped him on the back. “She looks nothing like you, I’m glad for her. Better she gets all the Leblanc genes she can get.”

The alpha could only nod. That was certainly true. His family in law looked like supermodels. All of them.

* * *

When Laurent woke up, the sun shone brightly into his room. He could see Damen sit in an armchair beside him, reading a book. “Alpha.” It was hard to speak with his throat as dry as the desert. He felt so empty.

Damen immediately got up and poured him a glass of water.

“Here you go, sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

Laurent took stock of his body. “Sore. Everything hurts.”

“I’ll go get the doctor.” Damen was out of the room before he had the chance to ask about their daughter. As soon as he got back, Laurent asked, “how is she?”

“She’s fine, don’t worry. Everything’s alright.”

“Can I hold her?” He wanted to see his baby so much it almost hurt.

“Absolutely, sorry sweetheart. I’ll immediately go and get her as soon as the doctor is here.” Damen brushed his fingers over Laurent’s hair.

The doctor entered and as Damen promised, he went to get their baby daughter. The woman smiled at him, she looked a bit harried. “Would you allow me to examine your birthing channel? I need to see if everything is closing up alright.”

Laurent only nodded. And she set to work. The birthing channel looked good and was already closing. She was very satisfied and left with the promise of coming back in the evening again to look him over once again.

The omega couldn’t care less, because right then, Damen entered the room, a sleeping baby in his arms. His heart swelled in his chest. The first time he saw his alpha with their child in his arms was nothing he would forget ever. The alpha placed her in Laurent’s arms and immediately, he felt himself calm down. He stroked one finger over her soft cheek already completely entranced by her.

His omega raising to the forefront, he crooned at her and when she woke up, he held her to his chest for her first feeding. It was a bit difficult at first, but there was a midwife who helped her latch on and showed him some tricks to make it easier.

When they were finally alone and the baby fed and happily sleeping again, Laurent looked up to Damen, his alpha. His instincts still going a bit overdrive. He needed his alpha to anchor him in reality again. Get him back to himself.

“Do you like her?”

The alpha’s face did something comical for a moment. An emotion crossing his features, Laurent had never seen before. An then-

“Of course I like her, sweetheart. She’s my daughter, I _love_ her.” Damen dragged his wrist down over the back of the baby to scent mark her. Then he did the same with Laurent’s arm.

“I’m very proud of her and of you. You made me so happy, omega.”

Laurent finally felt the last of the tension draining out of his shoulders. “If my second check-up today looks good, can we go home then? Please?”

“Sure. Whatever you want, sweetheart. Auguste is coming to visit today, is that alright for you?”

“Yes.” Laurent looked forward to seeing his big brother. He looked down at his daughter’s beautiful face and felt just happy.

“I didn’t finalize the papers. I wanted you to be awake to do that.”

“Aimée Egeria Leblanc, has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” Laurent smiled down at the daughter in his arms.

“Yes.” Damen kissed him softly. “It does.”


End file.
